The Edwardian 2021

In my introduction to last year’s 2020 Edwardian and “at the end of a summer term unlike any other in the School’s 468 year history”, I wrote, with an optimistic eye to the future: “This time next year, we will hopefully be looking back on a more routinely wonderful 12 months in the history of King Edward’s.” Amongst many other things, the past year has taught us that trying to predict what lies just around the corner is quite a tricky enterprise, and so this time around I will content myself mostly with looking back over a 12 month period that has been anything but routine and which has, indeed, been unlike any other in the School’s 469 year history ….

Despite the many significant challenges presented by the ongoing global pandemic, members of the KES community have undoubtedly made the most of the opportunities that have come their way this year, both in and out of the classroom, and have exhibited great creativity, perseverance, resilience and generous-spirited collegiality, amongst many other qualities, to ensure that the school experience has been as close to normal as possible. The pupils and staff deserve tremendous credit for how they have adapted and responded to these unprecedented circumstances, and the many colourful and engaging pages of this year’s Edwardian confirm that a huge amount has taken place successfully on many different fronts this year, albeit on occasion not necessarily in exactly the same format and shape that we have been used to in the past.

Headmaster

‘Virtual’ has certainly been one of the watchwords of the year, with clubs, assemblies, options and parents’ evenings and even Open Day and the Entrance Exam being moved to remote or online platforms. This was also the case for the School’s teaching and learning programme during the first half of the Spring term, as another national lockdown meant that schools once more closed their doors to most pupils. Despite the inherent limitations of the Teams medium compared with face to face interaction, KES pupils responded superbly to this challenge, with many making very impressive academic progress. Those Year 11 and 13 pupils whose GCSE and A Level pathways were also disrupted in 201920 deserve particular praise for the way in which they approached a very rigorous and demanding assessment schedule to produce the evidence to generate the ‘Teacher Assessed Grades’ with which, I hope, they will be very pleased. Like the Class of 2020 before them, they can feel proud of their efforts and achievements and can look forward to the future with confidence and ambition.

Outside of the classroom, the School’s wide-reaching and engaging cocurricular programme continued to admirable effect, despite everyone having to work creatively around a range of restrictions, with plays, concerts, sports practices and fixtures, CCF, DofE, many clubs and societies and, towards the end of the year, trips and visits taking place, often in year group ‘bubbles’ but always with a great deal of enthusiasm and skill. We even

managed several residential visits amidst an action-packed Activities Week, with the KES Twitter feed in overdrive as pupils across the Junior and Senior schools ended this most unusual year in rather more familiar and eager style.

As Ms Losse’s account of running a school in the Covid age makes clear, trying to manage the ‘known unknowns’ is only part of the challenge, and the School could not have navigated its way through such unpredictable waters these past 12 months without the tremendous effort and fortitude shown by everyone in the KES community –pupils, staff, parents, governors and more; I am very grateful indeed for this fantastic support.

Despite what I said in the opening paragraph, I believe that we can again be cautiously optimistic about the coming year. Whilst some aspects of the ‘new normal’ will undoubtedly remain part of school life and there will, I am sure, be other new challenges to face, there will also be plenty of wonderful opportunities and experiences to look forward to, and one thing of which I am certain is that KES pupils and staff will grab these with both hands. As this year’s Edwardian confirms, not only has the KES community done its best to ensure that the show has gone on, but, in so many ways, it has been a very impressive production.

M J Boden

KES Community

Under very unusual and trying circumstances this year, the whole school has pulled together with a sense of purpose and community spirit.

With many of the traditional live KES Parents’ events being cancelled, such as the Christmas Fair, Quiz nights, Wine Tasting Evening and Raffle, several of these took place online, and as expected, they proved to be extremely enjoyable for all those that participated. Much fun was had by all and the money raised was added to the KES Parents fund, which is used on an annual basis, to purchase and provide a whole variety of equipment to enhance

pupil learning, physical activity and social play. Generous donations also enable the school to undertake and complete a range of building projects across all three schools.

Pupils of all ages really do benefit from the generosity of all parents that participate and contribute to the KES Parents’ events programme.

The school is very fortunate to have such committed and loyal parents who frequently give their time and

energy to organise (KES Parents’ Group) and attend fundraising events and we look forward to a more normal and exciting programme of live events in the coming year.

A major source of revenue is the income generated from sales of uniform and Games kit from The Nearly New Store. This has been a most welcome source of help and support for families over the years, and the dedicated team of parents

who have sorted out uniform and Games kit, labelled hundreds of items, displayed and collected uniform and kit for sales, and then sold items to grateful families have provided great service for the KES community. We thank them most warmly for their time, enthusiasm and willingness to help and support others.

As a result of the variety of fundraising events and Nearly New Sales over the last 18 months, KES Parents have raised huge sums of money for the school over the years which has been spent on those desirable “extras” and projects, which have made an enormous difference to the learning and development of so many pupils and to the effective delivery of the curricular and extra-curricular programmes. The list of items is long I know, but we should acknowledge and thank KES Parents and all parents for providing the funding for the most recent round of requests.

The All-weather surface behind the Junior School was used for the first time in March 2021, and the majority of the funding was most generously provided by The Medlock Trust. The image above shows Mr David Medlock with Mr Greg Taylor and some of the Junior School pupils

unofficially opening the new facility to great excitement. There will be an official opening in the Autumn Term.

KES Parents also helped with the funding of this, and their significant contribution has enabled an attractive viewing platform to be constructed from which spectators are able to watch the various sports being played on the All-Weather surface. What a wonderful setting, with the city of Bath as the backdrop, to view sporting endeavour.

Thanks should also be given to parents for funding other projects this year; the enhancement of the outdoor area for the youngest Nursery 1 children in the Pre-Prep School, the transformation of a walkway which the Nursey 2 children use every day to access their classroom and play area, the bank of laptops for pupils to use in the Learning Support department,

the audio-visual equipment which will enable the school to produce more professional videos and open up our in-school events and an additional camera to improve the quality and range of images used on our website, communications and publications across the whole school. Added to this list is a cup and shield for winners of the UK Maths Challenges Competitions, DVD resources for developing the listening and language skills within the Spanish department, the Rhino One-Man Scrum Machine Sled for rugby, the Micro Drone Squadron Kit for the DT department, the indoor board games for the pupils across the senior school, and finally the picnic benches for pupils in the Junior and Senior schools. This is quite an exhaustive list and a large sum of money has been invested by KES Parents for the benefit of pupils and the continued smooth running of the school.

Any successful, forward-thinking, creative and dynamic school can only be so if all the components of the school work together as a team; pupils, parents, staff and Governors.

Old Edwardians and friends of the school (past and present) have and will also have a role to play. At the heart of a strong community, there should be a shared vision, a sense of belonging, and an agreed and realistic plan to keep moving forwards with enthusiasm. We hope King Edward’s will continue to grow and develop in the next year and beyond.

Thank you once again all KES parents for your loyal and generous support.

D Chapman

Art & Photography

Throughout the past year the Art department has been hugely impressed with the engagement and commitment of our students. During this challenging time, students’ creativity has continued to flourish at King Edward’s and we have been delighted by the range and quality of the work produced. Over the lockdown, it was clear how important making art became for many students. In numerous cases, due to time and space, work became even more ambitious and inventive. From wood-carving to film-making, students explored innovative processes and media. Out of necessity they were required to think differently and experiment. Our particular congratulations go to the Art GCSE and Art and Photography A Level students, whose sense of purpose and determination has led to some truly exciting projects and impressive outcomes.

Whilst at school, social distancing in practical and hands-on subjects has brought its own complications, requiring projects to be adapted accordingly. Students have responded exceptionally well to the changes within the classroom, making some wonderful work.

Highlights of the year include the Year 7 ‘Imaginary Creatures’ project, some exquisite insect drawings from

our Year 8 students, and the personal and imaginative ‘Visual Diaries’ created by the Year 9s. Among other memorable experiences were the Sixth Form’s inspiring virtual trip to the Guggenheim in Venice and the whole school photography competition.

As we near the end of the summer term, the Art and Photography department is looking forward to the prospect of trips to museums and galleries, workshops by visiting artists, and the Sixth Form residential in the next academic year. There is no doubt of the important role that visual art can play at difficult times and, as teachers, we hope to be able to harness its powers to explore, question and reflect on the world around us.

E Hume-Smith

Callum McGillivray

Annika Moorhouse

Orla Tann

Clem Scotland

Elsie Berry

Evan Watson

Anastasia Andreou

Ellie Graham

Lucy Reed

Mimi Young

The Edwardian

The Edwardian

Photography Competition

Congratulations to all the pupils, staff and parents who took part in this year’s Photography Competition, which explored the theme of Habitats.

Our judges were incredibly impressed both by the wide interpretation of the theme and the technical and artistic talent on show, with imagery ranging from people’s living rooms to the fantastic and beautiful natural world that surrounds us.

There were elements of humour, nostalgia and awe in the entries, showing a clear understanding of composition, clarity and subject matter. The winning entries were chosen on their ability to frame an image successfully plus a creative eye both pre- and post-production.

THE WINNERS AND RUNNERS-UP ARE AS FOLLOWS:

Ellie Payne - Winner, Junior School category.

Jack Gregory - Winner, Years 7-8 category

Georgie Grobler - Winner, Years 9-11 category

Reuben Eves - Winner, Years 12-13 category

Bev Denny - Winner, Staff/Parent category

Kaan Demirtas - Runner-up, Years 7-8 category

Isla Byrne - Runner-up, Years 9-11 category

Chris Donovan & Charlotte Darvill - Runners-up, Years 12-13 category

John Tidball & Neil Purcell - Runners-up, Staff/Parent category

F Huges

Georgie Grobler

Bev Denny

Ellie Payne

Jack Gregory

Neil Purcell

Reuben Eves

Chris Donovan

Isla Byrne

John Tidball Kaan Demirtas

Charlotte Darvill The Edwardian

Edwardian

Business Studies & Economics

The academic year 2020-2021, as it was for all at King Edward’s, was one which brought many challenges to the Economics and Business Studies Department. Our return to our refurbished and up-dated home in the Nethersole building was welcomed, but with the advent of “Bubbled Year Groups”, few of us got to teach in the department and sample the new IT equipment which had been provided for us during the refurb. My colleagues certainly earned their Strava awards and badges given the number of “steps” they put in teaching different year groups in different buildings across the whole King Edward’s site. Conversely, part of the academic year saw students being taught and colleagues teaching at home via Microsoft Teams. This brought new challenges for both students and staff as we continued to grapple with the new technology and ever evolving provision with this teaching platform. Some days were great and some, well, not so! It will be an experience that I think no one in the KES community and the wider teaching profession will forget and it certainly gave us a chance to reflect upon the positives of face-to-face classroom teaching over its “virtual” alternative.

With this disruption to normal teaching, and the restrictions we all lived under, much of the department’s staple activities had to be curtailed. Strict Year bubbles meant that the KESents Year 7 Disco could not go ahead. The KES Christmas Fair was cancelled and as a result we were unable to run our

Year 9 Christmas project and Year 12 Christmas Enterprise Project in the normal way. Year 9 did manage to plan, market and produce some prototypes of the products that they would have produced for the fair and, as always, my colleagues and were impressed with the ideas and entrepreneurial zest shown by many. It was such a shame that students were not then able to truly test their ideas by attempting to sell their products to the public! The KESents Enterprise team, made up of all Year 12 A level Business students, were unable to plan, market and run the annual Year 7 disco due the year group bubbling, as mentioned above. As with the Christmas Fair, this has become a staple in the school calendar and a fantastic learning experience for our budding A level students. These two events, plus others, are so important for students to apply their understanding of business to the real world and all in the department are very hopeful for a return to normality and the recommencement of these opportunities come the new academic year.

On the academic front, the pandemic brought TAGs for Years 11 and 13; a 2021 revamp on the previous years’ CAGs. This was a difficult and ultimately uncertain time for all, and the resilience shown by students was commendable. The Year 13 cohort, which we had across both A level Economics and Business studies, were a fantastic group of individuals. In normal times, we would have had high hopes of great success for these students

as they displayed the right mix of ability, reflection and hard work to succeed in their A levels. We wish them all well for the new academic year as they start the next stage of their academic journey on their chosen university degree courses.

Finally, I want to mention my colleagues; Mrs Dias, Mr Barber and Mrs Salako. We are tight knit department who thrive on continuously sharing ideas, concerns and improvements to aid the outcomes of our students.

The pandemic has meant we have had less time to do this, less time to take a breath, less time to think and less time to reflect. That said, I am hugely proud of the level and consistency of provision which we made available to our students over the academic year. Their help during the TAGs process, their acting and reacting to an ever-changing educational landscape and the aforementioned virtual Teams teaching, was invaluable and I cannot praise them or thank them enough.

So, goodbye to the academic year 2020 – 2021 and fingers crossed for a return to some normality!

G Butterworth

Classics

‘Bubble groups’, ‘social distancing’, ‘blended learning’ – all terms and concepts which were pretty much entirely alien to us a year ago, but are now an all too familiar part of our school lives. Despite Lockdown restrictions, students have found a plethora of ways to engage with the subject and I am constantly in awe of the reading, research, courses and competitions that they have managed to fit in to their already hectic schedules.

Our Sixth Form Classics Extension Group has met for fortnightly talks on topics as diverse as ‘Health and Medicine in the Ancient World’ (Elysia Bidgood), ‘Love and Relationships’ (Xander Spencer-Jones), ‘The Purpose of Myth’ (Will Burwell), ‘Classical References in Contemporary Music’ (Henry Skinner), ‘The Fall of the Roman Empire’ (Theo AldridgeStone), and ‘Theatre in Ancient Greece’ (Ollie Cochran). They have been engaging and well attended, and we have high hopes for a next year’s applications to read Classics or related subjects at University.

Meanwhile, online competitions have been a highlight for some. Elysia Bidgood (Year 12) and Owen Williams (Year 10) both entered the Lytham St Anne’s Classical Association video competition, in which they had to discuss which date they would time travel to. Owen produced a superb video, complete with very detailed maps and graphics, on the campaigns of Alexander the Great, whilst Elysia’s Highly Commended entry featured an eloquent video about the Tyrannicides, Harmodius and Aristogeiton, and their murder of Hipparchus in ancient Athens.

Two of our newest Latin scholars, Amy Middlebrough and Kaan Demirtas (both Year 7), entered the Leeds

University Latin reading competition. After only six months of Latin, this was some ask. Not only did they have to get their pronunciation of individual words and letters correct in the passage of Ovid on the myth of King Midas, but they also needed to show a good understanding of the plot and emotions conveyed. Both produced hugely impressive readings, with Amy praised by the judges for her ‘lovely Latin accent’, and Kaan achieving third place overall in the KS3 category for his very emotive performance.

Year 7-9 students entered this year’s Manchester Classical Association ‘Athena’s Owls’ short story competition. After the success of last year’s event, in which three KES students were ranked in the top five entries in the country for their age group (Ella Miles, Maddy Bobin and Elise Withey), anticipation was high. The twist this year was to retell the six selected myths involving monsters from the monster’s point of view. Out of over 180 entries, it was a great delight to hear that Hafsa Shazuli (Year 7) and Maddy Bobin (Year 9) had been highly commended for their entries on the Hydra and the Sphinx respectively.

It has been great to hear of outstanding degree results from OE Classicists in Durham, King’s London, Oxford and Cambridge. Lydia Shephard (2016) sent through some Spotify links to her own music compositions; James Darnton (2017) has just been offered his first teaching post at the Stephen Perse Foundation in Cambridge; whilst Solenne Scholefield (2019) went all the way to the semi-finals of University Challenge with her team from Balliol College, Oxford!

M Bull

LATIN

My first year at KES has been very eventful, to say the least! With the COVID-19 pandemic, experiencing secondary school wasn’t quite what it should have been, but I still managed to experience every subject, and choose a favourite: Latin. I love Latin, and it is an extraordinarily interesting subject. And, despite the fact it is supposed to be a dead language, I think it’s very useful! Many modern languages spring from Latin, and I’ve found that knowing it has been invaluable in helping to learn my other languages.

As well as being useful, Latin is fun, despite what people might say. Every sentence to translate presents a logical challenge, which is fun and challenging. Latin has always been given a bad name, but I really wish people would see it like I do: fun, exciting, and a doorway to the past. Carpe Diem!

Annabel Howlett, Year 7

THE SPHINX- LOVER OF RIDDLES, PUPPET OF THE GODS

By Maddy Bobin, Year 9

They say those born of the storm conceal great rage burning within them, as chaotic and careless as the forces that made them. They say those born of dragons have tongues knife sharp, laced with the subtlest of venoms. They say many things about the great Sphinx, created of Typhon’s finest turmoil and Echidna’s vilest venom. Some of these whispered fantasies hold elements of truth, others are merely the ravings of a soul I have shattered at the command of the Gods.

With wings like a soaring eagle, and great golden flesh that gleamed in the eternal Olympus sun, the gods took an interest in me from the start. At first I basked in their warmth, their immortal glory and incomprehensible beauty, until the great azure eyes of our king settled their steely gaze upon my impressive form. Solemnly, he and the gods watched as I grew ever more impressive. One by one, the eternal puppeteer cast his line, ensnaring me in invisible, painless bonds and binding me in lies, half-truths and

simple acts of rebellion, severing the strings of Artemis’s favoured bow, gouging deep scratches in the throne of Zeus, spilling torrents of water on the sacred flame of Hestia. Then, all at once, it became too much. Murmurs and rumblings of resentful gods had reached the ears of our King, and he decided to take matters into his own hands. Mouth twisted into a terrible grin, he described to me, with great pleasure, a large city in Greece, known to those who inhabited it as Thebes. Continuing, he drew out every syllable, infusing them with a venom my mother would have been proud of. He spoke of a crime, vague in its description, committed by the doomed populous of this city long ago and then, then he detailed their punishment. My monstrous blood drained from my face and I began to shake, but before I could comprehend the horror of what I had just been told I was flung from the heavens, the the deep throated laughter of our cruel king fading away as fell into the sapphire abyss.

never-ending praise and attention until it became impossible to break free. By the time I was fully grown, dark oaken hair tumbling to my shoulders, great beast-like form, sleek and shining, I was the plaything of the gods, a puppet dancing on their strings, bound by fear of their unfathomable power.

Occasionally the serene goddess of wisdom would pay me a visit, occupying me with trivial puzzles, riddles, and all manner of mysteries designed to boggle the mind. She knew I wasn’t the savage creature was perceived to be and found other ways to show she had not forsaken me. These glorious riddles became my only friends in time. marvelled at how a good riddle can twist the mind, forcing you to come up with solutions outside the parameters of normality, taunting you every second it remained unsolved until a burst of intelligence came charging right at you and you could fathom the answer with a triumphant smirk.

Eventually, there came a time when I longed to rest my clawed feet on the soft, damp ground and drink from the sweet rains down on the earth where I was born. Riling against my captors I began to indulge myself in

The sun gazed down upon the sprawling body of Thebes, embracing the flawless marble abodes and uniform white columns that dominated the Greek city. sat, stiff as a board atop a great alabaster column, my limbs screaming at me to move, to avoid my fate, but I remained bound by the Gods, doomed to fulfil their every whim. Shaking as he did so, a young man stepped forward to complete his part in this great cosmic game, asking my riddle. I smiled, I had picked what I had considered an easy one, in order to avoid stealing lives, surely these mortals couldn’t be as stupid as to not see what was clearly in front of them, systematically laid out in this most trivial of riddles. Taking a deep breath, I uttered my riddle. “

“What walks on four legs in the morning, two legs at noon, and three legs in the evening?”

I began to relax, confident I would not have to douse my life in tragedy

The man began to shake.

“I… I’m afraid I don’t know.”

felt the puppeteers move their cosmic strings, and with that, ended my first life.

MOOD LAMPS

Year 10 have been designing and making a mood lamp. They have learned how to combine different materials to create an aesthetically pleasing lamp that functions well.

M Roy

JEWELLERY CLUB

Flo Hunt, Year 12

Year 12 really enjoyed the opportunity to learn how to make a simple band ring in the DT Jewellery Club. They learnt how to measure accurately, cut, shape, solder and finish their silver rings to a high standard. Some were made for themselves and some as gifts to others.

I made a hammered silver ring over the course of about 4 lunchtimes. I’m not normally an arty type person so I appreciated the change of activity to fill up the lunchtimes. The actual process required lots of concentration if you wanted it to fit well. was very pleased with my end product and wear it almost daily.

Mrs Roy explained what was needed to be done at the beginning of each session and then just let us get on with it. If we needed help, she showed us what to do.

Although I had had minimal contact with her before this club, she was very kind and welcoming.

DESIGN VENTURA COMPETITION

Well done to Year 10 Design and Technology for their participation in the Design Ventura competition. In teams they designed and made a product that could be sold in the Design Museum shop. No winning teams this year, however, but a lot of enthusiasm, great ideas and team building. Feedback from the Design Museum judges said, ‘London Eye project was a strong response to the brief. The submission was nicely presented and fully costed. The judges really liked the prototyping and the packaging design.’

REFLECTIONS ON YR7

Rose Goddard, Year 7

In my first year at KES I’ve loved learning more about subjects I already enjoyed - but I’ve also been able to embrace and discover a love for new subjects. Design Technology is one of these! Our time working on a range of projects has made up some of the highlights of my year in lockdown and at school. One of my favourite practicals was when we made a wooden shape clock. I made mine a dramatic comedy mask (which draws on my love of drama) and it still works two terms later! It inspired me to do some woodwork of my own and I can now say helped to build some of the furniture in my house! DT has helped with many of my other subjects as a result because it draws on and puts into practice skills like the precision of maths and the creativity of art. am so glad DT is part of our curriculum and I can’t wait to see what else I will learn!

Computing & ICT

CYBERFIRST GIRLS COMPETITION 2021

During February and March King Edward’s School girls participated in the annual Cyberfirst Girls competition. The qualifying round was an online competition, which saw five teams of four Year 8 girls tackle problems in areas such as Cryptography, Coding, Networking and Cybersecurity.

Last year, a team of four King Edward’s School girls made it to the final in Cardiff, winning the National Cyberfirst Girls title. This was a daunting prospect for this year’s students but may have inspired many of them to sign up for the competition.

The qualifying round took place during lockdown, which, as it turned out, didn’t cause much disruption. Lunchtime help sessions were run over Microsoft Teams encouraging students to work together to solve example problems and, in some ways, this provided the perfect platform for the girls to chat, message and share resources.

The qualifying round was an intense week of problem solving, using the online platform provided by the NCSC (National Cyber Security Centre) – again accessed from home by the students, who were often trying to crack codes until late

at night in their attempt to get the most points. In the end it was Team Black – Emily Jensen, Emily Willis, Rosie McMorris and Isla Byrne - who made it through to the South West Regional Semi Final in March against twenty other teams from the region.

Lessons had resumed, but the regional semi-final was still to be held online, consisting of 4 hours of problem solving using the online platform, all with a live scoreboard showing which schools had scored the most points. At one point just before lunch Team Black were at the top of the leaderboard.

However, there was a late flourish from other teams, and we ended the competition at a respectable sixth place. The girls were somewhat disappointed, but all said they had really enjoyed the competition, they had learned a great deal about cybersecurity and would encourage next year’s Year 8 girls to get involved.

L James

Circus Folk

MY DRAMA EXPERIENCE Kai Dodgson, Year 7

The Drama team are very proud of the passion and creativity that the students have shown this past year to keep Drama thriving at KES.

New teaching staff Mairead Rolfe and Graham Low brought energy and creativity and OE Charlie Howard returned as a graduate intern. He brought dynamic and exciting ideas to share and led Year 7 who explored Climate Change issues through original works.

Our results from 2020 were exceptional with the A-level cohort achieving 100% A*-B, in particular the practical performance exploring ‘Complicite’, a work they created just before lockdown. The GCSE cohort also produced outstanding results, with 79% of the group achieving Level 9 as their final grade through sheer hard-work and diligence.

LAMDA lessons online meant students could learn lines, explore characters

and rehearse scenes and then faceto-face once schools re-opened. Some students chose to take their exams online, whilst others deferred exams until the end of the academic year.

An obvious challenge this past year has been our inability to visit theatre to watch live performance. That said, our students have been able to access some truly brilliant theatre online. We have reviewed many exciting productions such as, National Theatre’s Mosquitoes, Frankenstein and Jane Eyre and although not the same as the buzz of real theatre, it has been a privilege to access these award-winning works together.

With ‘Keep calm and put a play on!’ our mantra, we have put on 7 separate productions this year! In December, the team pulled out all the stops to put on 4 separate plays in a One Act Festival. These included Charlie Howard’s Year 13 in Beautiful Burnout, Victoria Stevens- Craig’s

Year 12 in The Red Shoes, Mairead Rolfe and Dani Tamblyn directing The Importance of Being Earnest with Year 11 and Catherine Bruton’s The Caged Birds for Year 10. Each one of these exciting performances were supported by our fab tech team, James Sellick and Andrew Whiting. In May, Years 8 & 9 produced their own work to a live audience of parents. Year 8 travelled the globe from the comfort of the Wroughton Theatre, telling folk tales in a fresh and funny way. Year 9 explored relevant issues concerning body image and selfesteem, a piece both relevant and thoughtful. Year 7 will finish our year in style by staging their own witty and fun versions of Grim Tales.

S Bird

LAMDA is like private drama lessons. You learn to annotate texts and extracts and also talk about characters and how the scenery would look. In the sessions, you learn how to become the character you are playing and how to give it more of a real effect. The teachers are all really encouraging and try to get the best out of you.

Doing drama helps me find out what kind of person I am and what my interests are, so think drama is a great thing to do and highly recommend giving it a try.

The Year 8 cast burst onto the KES stage adapting folk stories from various countries in Circus Folk. The clever writers and players delivered poignant social and moral messages with wit, comedy and relentless energy.

Up first was the tale of The Glass Knight. Wearing grey hoodies and superhero masks, the cast created a menacing Basilisk that terrorised a town, driven into poverty by politicians. Grace Catton took the heroic stand, a paragon of hope as the cast danced off stage to ‘the sun is shining’.

East of the Sun, West of the Moon high-kicked its way onto the stage with a 1920s Charleston complete with umbrellas and cartwheels! Their tale taught us that girls can save the day and we should judge a person on the beauty of their soul not their looks.

In The Mole’s Wedding, glittering George Macdonald emceed a talent show hunt for the perfect husband for his beloved daughter much to the

bemusement of his long-suffering wife. This show revealed a wealth of true talent within the cast: Kit MagillBatterbury’s no-handed pogoing; Imogen Luker’s incredible crowdpleasing solo rendition of ‘Clouds just wanna have fun’; Evie Wright’s balletic prowess and Abi Whittock’s defiant routine to ‘I’m still standing’.

Danny Mckenzie came backflipping onto the stage for the final tale

Prince Fire Flash and Prince Fire Fade. This under-the-sea tale’s visual effects- umbrella jelly fish, neon crabs and seahorse- (Ed Davey hilariously on a hobby horse) were a perfect backdrop for Polly Waddington, Bonamy Purcell and Iris Rostom as Sirens. Panos Katsimihas, pink-wigged underwater princess, charmed Danny’s protagonist and rejuvenated the audience’s souls.

V Stevens-Craig

#ME

An unflinching look at the challenges of coming of age in the 21st Century

#ME, written and devised by Year 9, featured the cast’s own music, choreography and animations. It offered an unflinching look at the challenges of coming of age in the 21st Century. Featuring pressures from parents, school and peers, the pressure to look perfect, to fit in, to stand out, #ME asked uncomfortable questions – and yet the outlook was always hopeful, ‘You are stronger than you think.’

Opening with a stark white stage, festooned with lights and empty mirror frames, each cast member sported a white t-shirt emblazoned with a slogan: #ugly #shy #bully #mask #nerd

#popular (the socially constructed stereotypes which limit selfperception). The bold, brave and innovative production explored and exploded each one ending in a powerful reveal where each shirt is peeled off and another underneath bore the title #ME, signalling hardwon self-acceptance.

The opening piece, ‘Acceptance’ explored family expectations. The next, ‘Wallpaper’, explored peer pressure, bullying and selfesteem. ‘The Switch’ was a classic Hollywood bodyswap where two characters magically swap bodies, only to find contentment is feeling happy in your own

skin. The final piece, ‘No Filter’ explored homophobia, bullying and body dysmorphia. Author Alan Gibbons observed that art should ‘never enter a dark room unless it can also light the way out’ and though a challenging and harrowing depiction of growing up today, this brave bold cast and crew also offered an inspiring message of hope and empowerment.

#ME was a ray of light at the end of an unprecedented year, this brave, bold and brilliant piece was surely the perfect way to signal the return of live audiences to the KES Theatre!

D Tamblyn

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest was a memorable Year 11 ensemble production. Directors Miss Rolfe and Mrs Tamblyn accentuated the play’s frivolous qualities and turned it into a kind of satire of our modern vanities: their ingeniously modified script featured smartphones, iPads, and references to fashion blogs and Instagram stories.

Charlie McGuire was winningly roguish as Jack Worthing, his tweed jacket and West Country accent contrasting with the leather-jacketclad, more metropolitan Algernon (Harry Foster). Though seemingly from different walks of life, they left us in no doubt as to the closeness of their friendship. Maia West’s Gwendolen was amusingly vapid but also endearing, while Molly Livesey’s Cecily provided a nice counterpoint: West twittered amusingly, Livesey, playing a stroppy teen, issued lines like ‘modern families eh?’ with cutting deadpan humour.

Played as a self-important modern businesswoman, Elsie Bruton’s hilarious Lady Bracknell often seemed permanently attached to her mobile phone, leaving her PA (played endearingly by Izzy Carney) to clear up. Bruton commanded the stage well, delivering the character’s famous one-liners with real aplomb.

Strong support was shown by Maria Mergoupis who provided authentic sincerity as Cecily’s governess Miss Prism while Harry Adams was the voice of reason as Reverend ‘Chas’ Chasuble. As Lane (Algernon’s manservant), Benji Poole was onstage for almost the entire play and did an admirable job of staying in character throughout. The multitalented Hep Bevis, Anni Moorhouse and Maddie Davies joining the rest of the company for dynamic musical interludes that provided a wonderful reprieve from the monotony of our locked-down lives.

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DRAMA

Olive Foster, Year 7

Drama is a creative and expressive subject. Once you get used to the initial fear of being on stage, it’s seriously fun to stand up there with your friends shouting, screaming, arguing and overall, just enjoying yourself. One of the best things about Drama is when you are doing a play and you forget a line, you can just act really confident and knowing as you blurt out an improvised fill-in: you’ll get a few odd looks from fellow actors, but they’ll catch on eventually. The subject needs only one skill;

confidence. Once you master that, being in front of the teacher and the rest of the kids in class will be enjoyable and exciting. Because what was fear at the beginning of the show, eventually eases into excitement.

The Red Shoes

As an ensemble piece, Year 12’s The Red Shoes thrived on much of the absurdity and hysteria of 2020, with an uplifting feeling of togetherness, brought about through the powerful blend of singing voices, smart percussion played on suitcases and the pleasing aesthetics of careful choreography.

The Girl in The Red Shoes was played by with grace and poise by Holly Wright and Sophie Lawrence. Xander Spencer-Jones played a soldier with heroism in his heart and disco in his soul. We especially smiled when he and our redfooted heroine danced in such a footloose and fancy-free fashion.

Elysia Bidgood, Ollie Cochran and Matt Marshall sang impressively

as soloists or blending harmonies. Elysia and Ebony Hammond held the audience’s attention with intensity of expression and precision of movement.

Josh Bernald Ross looked like the kind of butcher who wouldn’t last long in the presence of the food standards agency and Kat Nicholas gave us the Old Lady who took in the motherless girl. She was simultaneously compassionate and cantankerous, subtly humorous.

All was held firm by the chief storyteller, Lady Lydia, a role shared by the slick, televisual presentation of Lollie Mckenzie and the largerthan-life, pink-haired, fab-u-lousness of Henry Skinner. Any idea that life was going to be as shiny as Lydia’s

dress in this script was consistently and emphatically quelled.

Director Ms Stevens-Craig attested to the grit and strength of the cast. For a performance forged despite obstruction and frustration, it was characterised by fluidity and fun.

J Kean

Beautiful Burnout

By Lily Page and Minnie Leigh, Year 13

A-level students successfully executed a highly physical, emotional, and mentally challenging piece with finesse, creating a compelling, intense atmosphere on a socially distanced stage, while also being strangely intimate. Amy Smith played the role of Carlotta with Tom Crawford as her son Cameron Burns. Amy and Tom worked in unison to recreate a wholesome yet fiery relationship with Amy seemingly weaving the whole play together with her continuous presence and support of her son’s aspirations, while also executing lines with hilarious dexterity, creating the touch of comedy needed! Tom Crawford’s metamorphosis into Cameron Burns, the young, brusque,

up and coming boxer assuming his character completely, accentuating the performance with an authentic Glaswegian accent. Tom channelled Brokeback Mountain’s Heath Ledger as a sensitive yet distant and stoic character. This contrast was portrayed in a particularly key scene of emotional sensitivity between Cameron Burns and Bobby Burgess (Ella Featherstone) amongst the madness of the boxing business, where Bobby knuckles down into telling Cameron to grab his “one piece of luck” - being his boxing talent, in a world where few people get it. Ella Featherstone was an almost complete parallel to Carlotta, serving up the tough-love,

playing the role of the punchy Bobby Burgess, trainer, gym owner, keeping the boys in check. Ella interpreted Bobby as a force to be reckoned with, an intense powerhouse, without whom, they would most likely be on the streets breaking into fights with anyone and everyone. Some of the language had to be swapped for a more PC vocabulary, nevertheless, the passion and the attitude was undoubtably present especially through characters such as Dina Massie (Jemima Tollworthy).

‘Beautiful Burnout’ was directed by a brand-new member of the Drama department, Charlie Howard, who joined the department in 2020 through the internship scheme.

English

MY FIRST YEAR

By Alex Gentle, Year 7

My first year at King Edward’s Senior School has been lively, enjoyable, and exciting. When we arrived in September, our form teachers were welcoming and were happy to answer all our form’s many questions about the school. After Christmas, when the country went into lockdown and schools began teaching virtually, all my teachers responded to the untimely circumstances and continued delivering interesting and entertaining lessons.

One of my favourite subjects this year has been English. We began the year with an engaging topic on poetry. Following this, we looked at different variations of literature such as short stories, persuasive speech, and finally Shakespeare. especially liked studying short stories because I found it opened my eyes to a different side of reading and writing I had never encountered before.

Outside of lessons, the English department organised three writing competitions. The Poetry Competition, The Short Story Competition, and The Journalism Competition – two of which I entered but they are yet to announce the winners.

This year, English has been an intriguing lesson and I am eager to continue English at KES.

Kaan

NATIONAL READING CHAMPIONS QUIZ

By Annabel Howlett, Year 7

Competing in the National Reading Champions Quiz was definitely one of the highlights of my year. Being able to spend time alongside like-minded people, using skills I might otherwise not have a chance to use was an amazing experience and opportunity. I’ve always loved reading, and this was an exciting and interesting chance for me to use all the knowledge I’ve gained from those books. The actual event was fun, and in equal parts challenging and easy, and overall, we did extraordinarily well! The team, consisting of myself, Ela Jones (Year 6), Cassie Milton (Year 8) and Evie Blower (Year 9), competed in ten rounds of ten questions, each about a different kind of book knowledge, including word puzzles, odd one out, famous duos and even video clues. After winning the first heat, a brilliant achievement (and a surprise too), we continued on to the final, competing against teams from all around the country. The questions got more difficult, and we had to work harder to answer them. We may not have won the final, but coming tenth in the national competition is still an incredible achievement and something to be very proud of. Reading is awesome, and this chance to be with people who think the same was a truly amazing experience.

CREATIVE WRITING SOCIETY

‘You can’t lock down imagination!’ When the UK was plunged into #Lockdown3, Creative Writing Society went back online with over seventy members from Year 7 – 13 meeting weekly to share competition news and take on creative challenges. The weekly ‘Ten Minute Writing Challenges’ reflected on Lockdown – Animals in Lockdown, Literary Characters do Lockdown, Letters from Lockdown, Lockdown Locations, Lockdown Lists and more. And then students paired up to write ‘Flip-Flop’ stories – dual narrative pieces that tell tales from two perspectives. Term 3 saw Creative Writing Society back live in ‘bubbled’ lunchtime sessions, but we are all looking forward to meeting once again in mixed year groups! In the meantime, KES writers keep scribbling – because the stories we tell help us make sense of what’s going on in the world – and in our heads.

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By Neve Riley

Journalism Competition

The KES

Journalism

Competition

2021 was thrilled to invite Emma Clegg, editor of The Bath Magazine, to be our judge. ‘Bringing words to life on the page is my trade,’ says Emma who was incredibly impressed by the standard of writing at all levels.

In our Junior Category, pupils from Years 7 – 9 tackled big topics. Highly Commended Year 7s were Kaan Demirtas for his insightful review of the future of UK Defence and Alex Gentle for his thought-provoking piece ‘HS2 – Destructive or Constructive?’ Year 9 restaurant reviewer Ed Blackwall’s ‘I came looking for copper, but I found gold’, left the reader’s mouth watering, whilst Jeremy Hewett’s ‘Daft and Deadly Dinners’ was not for the squeamish.

The winner of the Junior Journalism Prize 2021 was Raimi Jabbour for his nuanced and sophisticated film review. In the Senior Category, Olly Howard (Year 13) proved himself with his no-holds-barred analysis of Pep Guardiola’s tenure as Manchester City boss. Tallulah Brady (Year 13) wrote a feature that explored the increasing polarisation and paranoia induced by social media algorithms. Ollie Cochran (Year 12) analysed the importance of the ‘long-shot’ in the films of Alfonso Cuaron.

Runners-Up in the Senior Category were Joshua Stokes (Year 12) with his lyrical review of the game ‘Florence’, and ‘She was Just Walking Home: A Story of 3 Women’ by Zara Brannigan (Year 12) a devastatingly powerful response to the Sarah Everard murder.

It was Olivia Laughton (Year 11) who scooped the 2021 KES Journalism Cup with ‘Why is Britain Always looking Backwards?’ a powerful piece on how the UK obsession with the past is hampering our future prospects. The judge remarked, ‘This is a sublime and engrossing reading journey, which would fit with ease within the relevant review section of a leading newspaper or magazine.’

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Demirtas, with his winning entry for this year’s Box Factor Competition.

Artwork

WHY IS BRITAIN ALWAYS LOOKING BACKWARDS?

A reassessment of our relationship with the past.

Olivia Laughton, Year 11 – Senior Winner / Overall Winner

The next few decades of the 21st century will be defining in many ways. Our global actions against climate change, missions to Mars and new technological and scientific innovations (to name a few) are ascending onto the international stage with rapacious force. Some countries are pioneering these changes, looking forward eagerly and actively engaging in creating this new and better world. Others, however, are stuck in the past, in sad, myopic reflections of the microcosms of their previous glory. And in this, Britain is the chief protagonist.

Britain’s relationship with its past has never been easy – but it has been much, much better than its relationship with the future. Perhaps it’s the inevitability of a nation at the tail-end of global significance, a once great empire facing isolation – as European relations freeze and the Union itself starts to crumble apart. But our past is not so glorious as we like to think, and the ideas of national heritage that we indulge in are often totally unfounded, and the repercussions of these beliefs are affecting our nation’s future. Pride is an innate part of human nature, but ours has so dramatically altered the way we look at our history as to distort it dangerously.

WW2 is a prime example of the idealised, and prejudiced outlook we have on our past. A survey by YouGov in 2018 found that a staggering half of Britons believed that Britain did more than the US or the USSR in defeating Hitler and bringing down the Third Reich. Compared to surveys in other countries, it is

clear we view our history through a distorted lens of supposed national superiority. In France and Germany 56% and 34% respectively believed America to be the key nation involved, closely followed by Russia. We see this unfounded pride in our WW2 actions everywhere – references are in TV adverts, in our memorials and museums and (perhaps most belligerently) in the rhetoric of our politics. Boris Johnson recently compared the global pandemic to the Battle of Britain, with references to the “blitz spirit” apparent in many emotive appeals to the public. This toxic war rhetoric surrounds Brexit too, in a painful 2016 interview in the Telegraph Johnson stated that the EU was trying to create a fascist superstate like Hitler had wanted to. “Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically. The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods.”

To blame the politicians, however, does not defeat the cause. The reason the war rhetoric is so often used is because it is so effective: we enjoy hearing it; and we are simply deaf to the historical facts. Instead, with Stalinist efficiency, we erase from our collective memories the ugly details that are preferable to forget. We like to talk about Winston Churchill defeating Hitler, but do we ever mention the Bengal famine? What Bengal famine people ask? And that’s precisely the point. The fact that in 1943 over 2.3 million people died of starvation due to a failed British foreign policy of diverting resources to help the war effort in Europe has been utterly wiped from our collective memories and school curriculums alike. In response, Churchill claimed the famine was due to the Indians “breeding like rabbits” and questioned how Mahatma Gandhi was still alive if the shortages were so awful. Indeed, even for his time Churchill was incredibly

racist, and before the war following the disasters at Gallipoli he was, in public opinion, an inflammatory and unpopular character. These are again facts we tend to overlook. To Britons today, Churchill is the archetype, the pinnacle of what it means to be British. Our nostalgic fixation on the past is never clearer than in our reverence and adoration for this controversial figure. In 2002 a BBC survey with millions of voters declared Churchill to be the greatest Briton of all time, ahead of Shakespeare, Darwin, Newton and Elizabeth 1. Just last summer, Britons were quick to condemn the death of George Floyd and police brutality across the Atlantic, but when it came to questioning our own national hero, we became defensive and angry, refusing to admit to what was in front of us. We are incapable of taking the criticism of him as anything less than a direct attack on our national identity and are unable to appreciate his numerous political strengths whilst simultaneously acknowledging his shortcomings. In short, we are clinging to our statues because they are the last remaining relics of glory already long gone.

We laugh uproariously at that iconic “Don’t mention the war!” scene in Fawlty Towers, where John Cleese’s character Basil is incapable of restraining his WW2-related comments when a German family dines at the hotel. The satirical nature of the scene is genius, but it is staggering that it is still so ubiquitous 46 years later: we still can’t stop mentioning the war. But my point is not that we should stop talking about WW2 – quite the opposite: fascism is on the rise across Europe and the oppression of religious and ethnic minorities is sadly still very prevalent in today’s world. But too often our focus is instead one of singular national glory which is incredibly unique to Britain. We need to seriously

question what it is about the war that so defines our national identity – so much more than France, Russia, Germany, Japan, Italy or America –who all also played key parts. These countries have moved forwards, whilst of course remembering and commemorating the horror of those years, they don’t come close to matching the importance the war holds for us Britons – its more than history, it has become identity.

WW2 is one example, but perhaps it is in itself stemming from an earlier period in our history: the supposed golden age of the British Empire. Our need to assert global significance clearly derives from this time, which we use idealistically and whimsically, as a comforting pacifier in the shifting scales of international importance. Collectively, we do not take on enough responsibility for the flip side of imperial power: this wasn’t just a glorious time of wealth, pride and honour- the imperial profits came at a cost: massacres, enslavement, exploitation, discrimination, prejudice and destruction. A bloody legacy we would do well to remember. Another YouGov survey in 2020 discovered that 30% of Britons believe colonies were better off as part of the British Empire. The survey taken was international, and also found that Britain had a far higher percentage than any other major colonial power: France, Holland, Italy, Spain, Japan, Germany or Belgium. This discloses vast gaps in our educational system, but also shows a shocking level of selective amnesia in our wider society

too. The link between the results of this survey and racial/ religious prejudice or bigotry is not at all tenuous. Britain today is still rife with racism, and I believe that until we begin to view our history with more circumspection, and eradicate these archaic ideas of imperial supremacy, we cannot hope to make this country equal for all.

Baseless links to our imperial past surround many issues, including one of the most controversial of our time: Brexit. In an LSE blog in 2017, sociologist Dr Roch DuninWasowicz described how “Brexit is intricately connected to Britain’s unaddressed and unredressed imperial past” describing it as “not only an expression of nostalgia for empire, it is also the fruit of empire.” The blog describes how “the prevalence of structural and institutional racism in Britain today made it fertile ground for the effectiveness of the Brexit campaign’s racist and dehumanising rhetoric of “taking back control” ” One of the most divisive arguments in favour of Brexit is the idea of controlling our borders, and repressing the entrance of desperate immigrants seeking security within our nation. This is a complex issue, and not one that can be dealt with in a black and white way, but in some of the socio-political endorsements, underlying racism is apparent. Voting Brexit clearly does not make someone racist, but it is telling that “since the referendum, racist hate crime has increased by 16% across Britain, and peaked at a 58% rise in the week following

the vote.” This historical rhetoric surrounding Brexit is dangerously out of touch with reality. The empire is over, and the idea that Britain can again “rule the seas” is frankly ridiculous. The combined factors of the 2008 financial crisis, Brexit and COVID19 have left our nation both economically and politically weaker than ever. And it’s time we accepted this with something resembling maturity – instead of this infantile wailing for a long-lost empire that still dominates our socio-political identity.

What is needed to move forward is not the same old regressive rhetoric – but something dynamic and innovative, something new. The past won’t simply return if we mention it enough; and its time our nationalism and collective pride was built on more stable and equal foundations than our ex-colonial prowess and imperial glory, we need to find something that all Britons, whatever their gender, ethnicity or religion can celebrate in unison. But to do this, we need to fundamentally reassess the way we understand our history, and until we do, we are incapable of moving forwards into the present.

Above Image Source: 9Gag.com Left Image Source: Reuters

Poetry Competition

Students interpreted this year’s theme ‘Reflections’ with their usual abundance of creativity, imagination and flair. There were poems about body image, doppelgangers, and Narcissus; poems about magic mirrors, black mirrors and cracked mirrors; verse depicting ghostly reflections and reflections from outer space. Our judge Rachel Heath, author of the Costa shortlisted ‘The Finest Type of English Womanhood’ and the haunting ‘Part of the Spell’, was incredibly impressed by the writing.

The Junior Highly Commended entries included Eloise Szanto’s lively Stuck in the Cell, Lydia Fearon’s simply moving An Icy Reflection and the memorable Reflections by Freddie Champniss. There were two Runnersup: the chilling Reflections by Sarah Blacker and the original Reflections on our Game by Elijah Fraser. The winner of the Junior Category was the elegant and sophisticated Reflections by Indira Pandit.

Our Intermediate category included the Highly Commended and subtly dramatic Waiting by Hannah Blacker and Ellie Martin’s intriguingly imaginative The Golden Lampshade Striped Shapes in the Night by Jeremy Hewett was described as mysterious and atmospheric and Isla Byrne was praised for the chiaroscuro in her own Reflections . The RunnersUp were Monstrous Reflection and its powerful rhyme and rhythm by Maddy Bobin and the striking and shrewd Medusa, Here You Are by Anna Winkelmann. The Intermediate winner was the nostalgic and sensuous July Eulogy by Elise Withey. Three Senior poems were Highly Commended. Everything has Gravity by Sam Bevis made our

judge smile. Isobel Smith’s Sepia Toned Memories was skilful and immersive, while A New Dawn? by Josh Bernard Ross was commended for being smart and timely. The Runners-up included the exquisitely balanced The Willow Trees by Sam Shepherd and the richly evocative Masquerade by Olivia Laughton.

The Winner of the 2021 Poetry Trophy was The Sun Will Come Out Again by Tess Xiao. Our judge loved how ‘this gorgeous poem suffused with light and gold captures all our experiences of being trapped indoors with only our memories, all done with a refreshing calmness and subtlety.’

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REFLECTIONS

By Indira Pandit, Year 8 – Junior Winner

The upended lines of the tree

Mimic those same lines of the one that is free

Forever copying that branch, those leaves

Forever imitating that sway in the breeze

It's merely a ballet for the sky

The lake has created this lie

But when the rain comes, it shatters the lake’s façade

Gone are the trees which once starred

Not that the sky notices through its dismay

And when the sun returns so does the play

There is not one imperfection

But how could there be? After all, it’s just a reflection.

THE SUN WILL COME OUT AGAIN

By Tess Xiao, Year 13 – Overall Winner

The screen goes blank. An unconscious sigh of relief as you finish That last sip of coffee and glance At the piles of paper strewn across the desk. The sunlight softly filters through as you reminisce When you last felt that warmth on your face.

Golden streaks paint the sky

Whisps of pink dance across the stage of blue. No polaroid could capture the nostalgia

Of contagious laughter and the talks of “remember when”. Who knew that soon you would miss that feeling

Of living in memories with a bittersweet smile on your face…

The sunlight blankets the floor, Like Midas’ touch on your lazy cockapoo

As she snoozes dreamily of chasing the clouds.

Golden streaks paint the floor

As you walk closely together amongst the beautifully flourished trees. No poet could capture the romance

Of holding hands to the subsequently syncing footsteps. Who knew that soon you would miss that feeling

Of reassurance from their soft embraces…

The sunlight invades the walls, Like a shy disco ball bursting into blossoms of purple confetti

As you enter a magic shop called hope.

Golden streaks paint the walls

The glimmers of festivity mischievously bouncing off of them. No carol could capture the prosperity Of cosily gathering around that fulfilled Christmas tree. Who knew that soon you would miss that feeling Of being around those dearest to you without fear…

The sunlight slowly fades, Like saying a slow and meaningful adieu without reason

As you gaze tearfully at the treasure of locked love.

The screen starts up. You feel like you’re going in circles as you watch

That same old news headline drumming

On your slightly yearning heart. But don’t worry, The sun will come out again. And it’ll filter through.

You won’t have to reminisce about the past.

At least, not while you’re busy making memories to last.

JULY

EULOGY

By Elise Withey, Year 10 –Intermediate Winner

Tell me the story where the boardwalk tapers off into the horizon.

Sizzling oil. A pocket full of change. A slice of summer wrapped up in greasy newspaper so the ink stains your fingers. The waves pummel plum bruises into the sky and your mouth is sweet from the waffles and your nose is peeling because you forgot suncream again. I chase you across the car park leaving wet footprints over the sun-warmed asphalt, and you’re laughing, and I’m laughing. Do catch you? I’ve forgotten. I hope not.

Plastic chairs, too hot to sit on. Ice cream dripping through wooden slats. This is an interlude. This is an apology. This is where you remember to breathe.

I lean in to kiss you but that’s the wrong story. In this there’s a fist where your mouth should be. Teeth, knuckles, hearts, the cheap snowglobe you bought from the giftshop— you’re good at breaking things, darling.

Tell me the story where we walk until the pier falls away beneath us and step off into the sea, bubbles like shooting stars. What did you wish for?

Not this.

Maybe another story. Maybe another summer. Here, the sky fades. The boardwalk ends.

Short Stories

‘Our echoes roll from soul to soul, and grow forever and forever’ – Alfred, Lord Tennyson

2021 has been the year of the echochamber. Stuck in our home ‘bubbles’, connected to the world only through our screens, social media and the internet, it has been all too easy to see our own ideas and opinions reflected back to us in the words of others. Fortunately, the young writers of KES used fiction to take readers to other worlds, to see our world through new eyes, bursting the bubbles of our echo-chambers, making us ask questions, and questioning ourselves.

The theme of echoes took our young writers in so many different directions. Our judge, Costa-shortlisted novelist Rachel Heath, was hugely impressed by the standard of writing, particularly praising stories that were well-crafted and simply told. In the Junior Category (Years7-8) several entries were Highly

Commended, including the mythic Echoes of Truth by Annabel Howlett, the moving Deja Vu by Caitlin Street, the memorable Echoes by Iris Rostom and the time-bending Echoes by Esther Looyis. Runners-Up prizes included the empathic and imaginative The Minotaur’s Story by Toby Luker and the poignant and lyrical Echo and Narcissus by Francis West. The Winner of the Junior Category was the moving exploration of grief and loss, When the Sun is Gone by Ava Morley.

In our Senior Category, Years12 and 13 showed huge sophistication and flair. Highly Commended entries included the confident and lively La Scelta by Alice Mumford, Ben Blackwell’s energetic and tense Somebody’s Son, and the surprising Bright Young Things of the Twenties by Zara Branigan. Runners-Up were the imaginative It is the Gift by Holly Wright and the unsettling The Bells of Anarchy by Chris Donovan.

The Winner of the Senior Category was the powerfully told An Old Song, Far Away by Josh Bernald Ross.

In the Intermediate Category (Years 9-11) Highly Commended was awarded to the atmospheric An Echo from the Past by Patrick Hewett, the evocative Two Blue Jewels by Jeremy Hewett, the vivid and powerful Mercy of the Lethe by Madeleine Bobin and Jerry Jiang’s well-crafted Echoes of Humanity Runners-Up included humorous and entertaining Backscatter by Clem Scotland and the highly original The Priory by Anna Winkelmann. The Winner of the Intermediate Category – and also Overall Winner of the KES Short Story Competition 2021 – was Orchard by Elise Withey, a sophisticated and moving confection set in 1783.

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ORCHARD

By Elise Withey, Year 10

La

Cocumella Orphanage, Sorrento, 1783

You’re eleven, new here, and you watch them as they talk in the orchard, threads of conversation spilling from their huddle. There are three of them. Two girls, one boy. The ease with which they laugh leaves your tongue clumsy in your mouth. Sunlight squares the grass, but you keep to the shadows by the porch. You know better than to approach them, know that they’ll turn as one to watch you in a way that makes your legs heavy, silence closing like the snip of sewing scissors. Staring is sinful, you know. Still, you keep looking. Your eyes follow where your words cannot.

Twelve years old now. It’s summer in the orphanage. The days dribble into each other, sticky as blood, and the nights fatten with crickets. Your bed is next to those of the two girls. You’re forced to listen as they stay up whispering long into the night. You press your face into your pillow and try to block them out.

You wake to a patter of feet, a thunk, and as you sit up the nightgowned figures at the end of the dormitory freeze. Dangling half out the window is the taller girl, while the smaller stares at you with wide brown eyes. A sagging pause. Outside, the wind stirs the branches of the orange trees. Then you slip back down into your bed, curl up, and the silence eases into thankfulness. More rustling. The window slams shut.

Next morning, when you follow the three of them into the orchard for fruit-picking, you catch the smaller girl saying your name: Caterina. You didn’t think she knew it. Joy fills your lungs, rich with the scent of orange blossoms.

After that you see them more often, and watching them now feels more curious than wistful. The boy has loose shoulders, a lopsided grin; the taller girl fancies herself a poet. And the third girl, Pia, the one who knows your name, talks as if the sentences burn her throat, quick-singed flurries, her hands gesturing. You want to catch those fluttering hands, tell her, breathe.

Fifteen. Too tired to sleep, you lie in

bed with your sheets coiled sweaty around your thighs and listen as the rain slams branches together again and again. The whoosh of the storm through the orchard is so entrancing that you nearly miss her as she leaves. You should stay in bed. You follow her anyway. She flits down the stairs, bare feet hardly touching the tiles − slow down, you think, slow down − and you find her out on the porch, nightgown stuck to her skin from the water. ‘Pia?’ you whisper. Her name tastes like oranges.

She startles. Her cheeks are shiny. You aren’t sure if it’s rain or tears. ‘What are you doing?’ she hisses, words dropping like cinders, too hot for you to hold onto. ‘What are you doing, Caterina? You’ll be heard, you’ll be soaked, you’ll be caught.’

You swallow past the lump in your throat to speak. ‘I can − can go,’ you offer. Pia’s hands flutter helplessly, hummingbird-constant in their movement. Instinctively, you reach out and touch her wrist. She stills. ‘Slow down.’ It sounds like a plea. It sounds like a prayer. ‘I’ll − you’ll fall.’ There’s no drop, just the porch, the gate, and beyond the green of the orchard, but you feel yourself tipping anyway.

A shaky breath, she’s stepping towards you, and your hand finds hers and pulls her out of the rain. Fallen leaves carpet the orchard, their green dimmed to faded blue in the storm. Here and there, a bright, bruised orange. She shivers against you. You’ve stood here many times before, staring out at the orchard from the shadow of the porch, but this time you aren’t alone. Though the yearning is still there, at least what you long for is within arm’s reach now.

Sixteen, and the orange trees are tottering with fruit. It’s picking season again, so you’re sent out with baskets to pluck the ripest of the crop. You, and the three of them. You don’t say much, you never do, but it doesn’t matter: Pia scatters words like embers, plenty enough for the both of you. Her attention snags on you as you pull a branch low enough that she can pick the oranges. You meet her gaze, hold it. Your stomach twists at the quiet crackle of fire in her eyes. That afternoon, when the sticky heat of noon has faded into sleepiness, you wander deep into the orchard, till the others’ chatter dulls beneath the rustling of the leaves. When you feel the hand on your arm you know

who it is, and you turn to meet her.

Pia’s kisses taste of orange blossoms and woodsmoke, and her hands are never still, even now. They’re tangled in your hair when you pull away. Staring may be sinful but she’s beautiful like this, dappled in leaf-patched sunlight, and in the face of your other sins staring won’t matter so much.

Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. The oranges ripen, rot. The taller girl marries well, the boy takes an apprenticeship in Sorrento, and Pia leaves for the city. Wait for me, she tells you. You’re good at that. You promise you will. In the meantime they say you should stay, look after the next generation of orphans, so you do − you tend to the orchard, and dream of never-still hands and orange-blossom words burning sweet scars into your skin.

One day the carriage that rattles into the driveway will be familiar, and you’ll run to meet it. You’ll laugh as she tells you stories of the city, and then you’ll lead her inside as the sky ripens to gold. But for now, the only stories are those that linger in the orchard. So each evening you sit alone on the porch, breathing in the smell of the fallen blossoms. The echoes of summers past flit through the trees.

You listen.

Geography History & Politics

As I am sure you have heard many times, this has been a most unusual year! Teaching in year group bubbled areas, minimising travel for pupils around the school, taking extra care when sharing resources – to name but a few oddities! This hasn’t stopped the teaching and love of Geography being shared with the pupils throughout the Senior School. Indeed, while COVID has forced so many changes upon us, it has been

used to the benefit of the Year 13 Geographers, who have been able to use the disease as one of their case studies for the Disease Dilemma unit of work. Furthermore, one Year 13 Geographer creatively used COVID and linked this to place perception to produce an innovative and cuttingedge piece of research for his A level coursework. There were many other fascinating A level investigations with topics that ranged from comparing different types of woodland as carbon stores, considering the relationship between coastal wave processes and landforms to looking at the incidence of obesity in Bath and how people perceive and identify with places. As ever, the investigations were varied, thorough and the constraints of COVID did not prevent excellent research being conducted by the KES students.

With the exception of Year 13 fieldwork, there has been little else this year until recently, when the Year 10 Geographers set off for a morning in Bath investigating how housing varied in Bath and linked this with the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The results are often surprising with the data confirming that there are many more types of housing than Georgian in Bath!

We have taken opportunities when they have arisen. There were two fascinating lectures delivered online by the Bristol Geographical Association for sixth form Geographers. The first, ‘Bloomin’ Algae and Ice Sheets’ looked at how algae on the surface of ice sheets can affect albedo and photosynthesis. The second lecture, ‘the Geography of COVID’ looked at the diffusion of COVID in Bristol and the UK and data considered the effects of ethnicity and deprivation on the incidence of the disease. For Years 7 and 8 there was a Geography competition amongst the forms in each year group, which tested their knowledge on Africa, Europe, Asia and Oceania – there were some very interesting answers!

As usual, should like to thank my colleagues in the Geography Department for their unending commitment, support, humour and tenacity at all times throughout the year. They have engaged fully with the challenges and frequently changing landscape that we have been faced with. We are all looking forward to the next school year which we hope will be somewhat more familiar!

Dr J Knight

It has been an interesting year to think about why we study history. At KES we see the 11th of November come around every year and mark it with due reverence, thinking about the experiences of those who fought, those who worked and those who never came home. It is almost unquestionable that we pause to give this thought, but the last 18 months have seen us thinking in a more sustained manner about the history of Britain and what aspects our tendency to focus on 20th Century victories have led us to neglect. Whilst a culture war continues to rage, we have taken steps to ensure our curriculum doesn’t write any group out of history and includes a broad focus, both of how we got here in Britain, but also our role globally, as well as case studies in world history. The aim is never to teach triumphalism or shame; we merely hope to stoke debate and open students’ eyes to the fascinating events that have made the modern world. To that end, students can look forward to new in-depth studies on the uses and abuses of history around the world, the impact of war on race, gender and class relations in the 20th Century and the global impact of colonialism amongst others.

If the discussion of what to teach was not exactly routine over this

period, neither was the sitting of exams for history or politics. Our sincere congratulations to all those over the past two years who have endured the uncertainty of the process, particularly this 2021 year group, who had to stay exam ready for so long. It would be a stretch to say we enjoyed marking all the assessment work that came in, but there was certainly a strong sense of satisfaction as the level students’ attained was impressive. We hope they get their due rewards.

Outside of the classroom our visits have been nil, but we have travelled via the medium of Teams to some intellectually fascinating places in History and Politics Extension Group. It is encouraging to see a range of students from Years 10-13 debating issues such as the impact of Chairman Mao on Modern China, the extent to which Pitt (younger) was reactionary and whose political philosophy holds more merit – Rousseau or Hobbes, to name a few. This group is open to all Year 10 and up, generally requires 30-60 mins preparatory reading and is a mix of student and teacher led talks followed by debate. Any interested students should message Mr Lomon to be added to the group.

S Lomon

Above: Year 9 KES pupil, Joseph Walker, has his letter published in the Guardian.

Maths

M3 MATH CHALLENGE

Four Year 12 pupils (Jack Garrard, Filip Oczko, Max Smith and Carl Willis) reached the finals of an international maths competition. The four are one of six teams to reach the finals of the M3 Challenge, competing against 535 teams across the US and UK.

The team researched the competition, organised meetings and produced their mathematical model completely independently with little modelling experience. However, through practice and determination, they were able to produce a winning solution to the problem of the inequality of internet access around the globe. They had to consider the needs of different people, the changing cost of connectivity and the distribution of cellular nodes.

Ordinarily, reaching the finals of the M3 Challenge includes an expensespaid trip to New York where students present their papers in person. But as we all know, this was not an ordinary year. In reaching the finals, each are awarded $1,000 in scholarship money to help fund their University tuition. First-place in the M3 Challenge wins $20,000 for each team member.

Now in its 16th year, the M3 Challenge is a program of the Philadelphia-based Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and is sponsored by MathWorks, a leading developer of mathematical computing software.

The challenge aims to inspire students to consider careers in maths, data science and computing.

P Davies

Joseph Pagnamenta, Year 8

UKMT MATHS CHALLENGES

The Senior and Intermediate Maths Challenges were undertaken online this year and we were very impressed with the efforts made by our pupils to login and take part in these competitions from home. The Junior Maths Challenge was taken at the start of the summer term and so pupils were able to do the competition in the traditional way. Overall, 527 pupils took part, across the three competitions, to practice their problems solving skills, and the numbers of Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates gained by our pupils are shown below:

PI DAY 2021

The department celebrated Pi Day with various classroom activities involving the number Pi. We posted daily Maths videos to the VLE and Twitter on a range of topics such as Pi and Collisions – “the most unexpected answer to a counting puzzle”, and the maths of Minecraft speedrunning – “How lucky is too lucky?” We also hosted the school annual Pi memory competition in bubbled year group lessons and lunchtimes.

Congratulations to Hafsa Shazuli from year 7 who won the main competition by reciting an impressive 156 digits correctly. Lawrence Moore won the “Fastest to 20” competition by reciting the first 20 digits of Pi in a mere 3.03 seconds.

New for 2021 was the Ping-Pong-Pi-a-thon competition. Pupils had to pair off, play table tennis and shout the next digit of Pi each time they hit the ball, until they couldn’t remember the next digit, or missed the ball. Honours for this competition went to Lewis Guan and Jack Boden who managed to get to 19. Well done to everyone who took part.

MAIN COMPETITION – TOP 3

1st Hafsa Shazuli Year 7 156

2nd Max Smith Year 12 149

3rd Rosie McMorris Year 8 84

FASTEST TO 20 COMPETITION – TOP 3

1st Lawrence Moore Year 8 3.03

2nd Lewis Guan Year 7 3.32

3rd Barnaby Frith Year 7 3.53

PING-PONG-PI-A-THON WINNERS

Jack Boden and Lewis Guan Year 7 19

R Pagnamenta

The certificate thresholds for the Intermediate Challenge were particularly high this year, due to lower national turnout and so the number of golds was a little below normal. The Junior Maths Challenge was also notable for being the hardest on record, Question number 21 was definitely the most talked about question from this year’s JMC. Here it is:

Some fish, some dogs and some children are swimming in a bay. There are 40 legs in total, twice as many heads as tails and more dogs than fish.

How many fish are in the bay?

A 1 B 2 C 3 D 4 E 5

Congratulations to the 31 pupils who qualified for, and took part in one of the follow-on rounds: 8 pupils took part in the Senior Kangaroo (for years 11-13), 2 did the Pink Kangaroo (year 11), 4 did the Grey Kangaroo (years 9 and 10) and 15 Junior Kangaroo (years 7 and 8). Frances Weldon and Owen Williams did particularly well to qualify for the Intermediate Maths Olympiad.

I would also like to thank the friends of KES who kindly donated a cup and a shield for the highest scorers in the SMC and the IMC competitions. These were awarded to Joseph Pagnamenta (JMC), Frances Weldon (IMC) and Max Entwisle (SMC). Well done to everyone who took part.

R Pagnamenta

ROB EASTAWAY TALK

We were delighted to welcome renowned Popular Maths Author and Speaker, Rob Eastaway to KES in May. With the COVID restrictions eased and Rob eager to step away from the online conferencing environment, he offered free talks to schools on Twitter and thankfully, we were one of the lucky ones. It was great for Year 10 to experience some off syllabus discussion and it was a pleasure to host Rob.

His talk, “Maths and Intuition”, explored several results that were entirely counterintuitive; an ancient fable of sharing camels, how a small amount of extra bunting can make a big difference and creating an area of zero units with an infinite amount of perimeter were ideas explored that intrigued and sometimes frustrated Year 10. Basketball is a popular pastime in the year group, and many will have been disappointed to learn that the ratio of the size of the hoop to the size of the ball is greater than they may have realised – seemingly no extra excuses for the number of missed shots witnessed on the cage, folks!

D Lehmann

Spanish

SPANISH IN LOCKDOWN

Harry Avent, Year 13

It has been a huge relief to be back in ‘normal’ lessons for Spanish students this term. A key aspect of learning the language is the speaking element and being able to return to conversation lessons with Begoña has definitely been a big improvement from using Microsoft Teams, which was often very testing on our WiFi strength.

However, studying online at home meant we were able to immerse ourselves in Spanish television (although we did return to school with a few too many ‘palabrotas’ in our vocabulary). Collectively, the year 13 Spanish group may now be able to recite the script of Netflix hit ‘La Casa de Papel’, word for word. That is not the only ‘La Casa’ we have studied this year; we spent the majority of the summer term writing essays on the play, “La Casa de Bernarda Alba” and the Almodóvar film “Las Mujeres”. Unfortunately, the live theatre performance we were going to see in Bristol earlier in the year was cancelled but we managed to watch both via KESTV. We also had a lot of independent time to polish off our IRP throughout the term making our workload slightly less stressful during a very intensive couple of months of examinations across all subjects.

‘CAMARÓN QUE SE DUERME SE LO LLEVA LA CORRIENTE,’

(the shrimp that sleeps is taken by the current.)

Elsie Berry, Year 13

This old Spanish proverb has been especially true this past year as we have had to become self-sufficient through learning alone at home.

When Lockdown was announced wondered how our language lessons would be affected, considering that they revolve so much around communication. Fortunately, the Spanish Department has been superb and kept up my love for the language. We had many live Teams lessons and even maintained our conversation lessons with Begoña the Spanish assistant. It’s been fantastic to chat with a native speaker who gave us the benefit of her extensive knowledge of Spanish food!

Although we missed out on many opportunities such as the annual Spanish play and trips abroad, the teachers kept us busy back at school, with conversation lessons with younger students and online plays and lectures helping our spoken Spanish. Of course, Señora Charlton has been filling the KES Twitter account with extra activities, such as Translation competitions which entered in hopes of winning a famous Chupa Chup.

I cannot thank the Spanish Department enough for their dedication this year. I am very excited to be going on to study Spanish and Portuguese at University and feel fully prepared thanks to their support, especially Señora Charlton who has taught me since Year 7. Muchísimas gracias from the Class of 2021!

THANKS TO KES PARENTS’ ASSOCIATION

Ollie Cochran, Year 12

Thanks to funding from the KES Parents’ association, the Spanish department has recently purchased many new and exciting Spanish DVDs. Although movie-watching is easier than ever, given the many streaming services, it is hard to deny the importance of DVDs, especially for foreign films. Whilst Netflix may be the ‘Holy Grail’ for any avid movie-goer, its catalogue of good and appropriate Spanish films is scarce. We are extremely grateful, therefore, for the Parents’ funding, and for the incredible opportunity to buy such valuable items. Spanish movies are fantastic assets that can help students practice their listening, in particular. However, on account of the generous budget, the department bought some of the best movies around – the crème de la crème of Spanish cinema – ranging from the films of the idiosyncratic Pedro Almodóvar, to Guillermo del Toro and Alejandro Amenábar (some of the most well-respected Hispanic directors in the world). As well as helping to improve listening skills, these DVDs will offer valuable insight into various aspects of Spanish culture, such as ‘La Guerra’ and ‘La Movida Madrileña’. ¡Muchas gracias!

BEGOÑA MIRONES

Begoña Mirones joined the school two years ago from the University of Portsmouth. She was, at the time an expert on teaching Spanish online. Little did we know how important that skill would become for the Spanish department during the pandemic. Her online lessons were fun, modern and engaging. Coming from Higher education she was well suited to teaching the Sixth form and her lessons in this sector were a big success. Pupils in Year 13 kept attending their language lessons online during the first lockdown until the end of June, much after all formal lessons had finished. As she worked with us for two academic years, she was a great help to the other two language assistants who started new in the department this year. Next year, Begoña will move to Spain to teach Spanish as a second language in Madrid. We wish her all the best for the future.

M Charlton

MY KES TOP 3

In just a few days, I will leave Bath and find myself writing these lines feeling a little blue. Even if 2020 and 2021 were difficult for everyone, can happily say that I have enjoyed my time here. What I am going to miss about the school?

1. My students: Having my lessons everyday were the best part of both lockdowns. Students’ energy made me forget about what was going on, I had great fun and I hope they liked my sessions as much as I did. At school we could have “normal” lessons and even if sometimes they were tired and stressed, we had a good time together, which made me feel welcome and loved.

2. My colleagues: we had a really good time in the MFL office, like our daily trip to the staff room for a cup of tea (even if everyone considers my tea too milky for British standards).

3. Food: Most of my students and colleagues know I’m obsessed with food, not only is it my favourite speaking topic also build my life around it. For example, I love playing “Guess the soup of the day” game with my colleagues.

Finally, my dear KES, I’m going to miss you and I’m sure my time here will leave a lasting impression on me.

B Mirones Munoz

50 JAHRE FREUNDSCHAFT

German

In 2021, the cities of Bath and Braunschweig celebrate their 50th anniversary of partnership. The cities were officially twinned in April 1971, though a friendship has existed between them since at least 1957. During this time, King Edward’s School has run a popular and enriching exchange programme with the Ricarda-Huch-Schule, located in the north east of the city. This exchange has not only helped to foster life-long friendships, but the development of cultural and linguistic understanding between the participants. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the German Exchange planned for September 2020 was unable to go ahead, but the schools are still in touch and are planning a virtual classroom exchange for the start of September 2021. The German Department will run this Exchange again, as soon as the situation allows!

King Edward’s School is also running an art and photography competition in conjunction with the city of Braunschweig, with the view to celebrating our half-century of companionship. If you wish to enter this competition, entitled ‘50 years of friendship’, please email your entry to Mr Ferguson (c.ferguson@kesbath. com) by the end of Autumn Term.

Now more than ever, it is crucial that we remember our friends in Europe, the benefits of exchanges on our understanding of culture and comprehension of language, and how we have far more in common than that which divides us.

C Ferguson

HALLO! WIE GEHT’S?

One of the many reasons why came to England was to take a glimpse into the local school system and get an insider’s perspective on school life in the UK. was exceptionally lucky to have had this opportunity at KES, where everyone was incredibly supportive and welcoming. I even had my own desk in the amazing MFL department, something I certainly didn’t take for granted. Some of the things I found particularly inspiring and will miss were:

• The passion and dedication with which teachers encouraged the students to realise their full potentials

• The students’ discipline and motivation. They always turned up for their speaking lessons, online or offline!

• Teaching German to English speakers. That’s the other way round I was trained to do, because in Austria teach German speakers

French

INCROYABLE MAIS VRAI !

English. It’s great to witness how our grammar brains are wired and which concepts British and Austrian students tend to find difficult in the other language (quite often they overlap)

• Tea breaks and lunches with my lovely colleagues

• The start at 9am (in contrast to 8am in Austria)

• The school grounds and excellent equipment

• The professional and motivating work environment particularly in a year like this

• The atmosphere and support in the MFL office

• The beautiful view of Bath from Wessex building

• The language exchange with students and colleagues. I have learnt so many new expressions and phrases – and hopefully so have they

Thank you for this wonderful and unforgettable experience! hope we will stay in contact.

J Stadler

Cultural visits are out, but French culture lives on in the KES classroom. And here are two remarkable stories the French A Level groups have been studying over the past few years.

Un Sac de Billes (A Bag of Marbles) is the incredible account of two young Jewish boys who have to flee Nazi persecution in 1942 Paris. Their success is largely due to their extraordinary resourcefulness in evading detection and capture and surviving the Second World War. Their first exploit illustrates this admirably. After being guided stealthily across the demarcation line between Occupied France and so-called Free France by a passeur (courier or people smuggler), the elder boy retraces his steps in the night and guides 40 refugees across the line to relative freedom, earning himself 20,000 francs in the process. What makes his courage and entrepreneurial spirit all the more remarkable is his age: 12. Even more extraordinary: this is not fiction. The younger brother, Joseph Joffo, who wrote this book 30 years later was 10 years old at the time. Their story really happened and was made into a successful film in 2019. The second story our Sixth Formers

have been studying is the film Intouchables (Untouchable). This is the tale of a wealthy Parisian quadriplegic, Philippe, who decides to employ an out of work young African immigrant, Driss, as his personal carer. Driss, recently out of prison, has absolutely no interest in the job, nor any qualifications or experience. In fact, what appeals most to our wealthy nobleman is precisely Driss’s lack of pity. Contrary to everyone’s expectations, a remarkable friendship develops between the two men, as Driss rekindles the nobleman’s sense of fun and adventure. The film crosses all kinds of barriers, racial, cultural and those between rich and poor. Those of you following the French series, Lupin, will recognise the lead actor, Omar Sy. As with Un sac de Billes, this is not fiction. It is based on a true story.

This is just an appetiser of the cultural delights of studying French at KES. When health restrictions are removed, we should also be able to resume a wider programme, which includes making pancakes on Mardi Gras and sampling French food. Bon appétit!

A Vass

I came to the UK because I wanted a first-hand experience in teaching before starting teaching in France and working as a French assistant was a good opportunity. I think I couldn’t have found a better environment than KES. Throughout the year, and in spite of the difficult conditions, KES staff and colleagues were always supportive and friendly and always found hardworking and enthusiastic students in my lessons (with an impressive level in French!).

I also enjoyed being in the same office as teachers of other languages and two other assistants, which led to many interesting conversations on culture and linguistics. I wouldn’t exaggerate if I said I learned something new every day!

L Beugnet

ensemble, as well as providing a few specialised choral groups too! Who needs one string orchestra when you can create 6, mini, year group-based string ensembles, but all learning movements from the same piece! All we had to do was to find a way to weld them together to perform later in the year………..

‘Necessity is the mother of invention! ’ This could not resound more truly in 2020-21 for KES Music, than perhaps in any previous year. Now, we are not talking about the need to compose ‘an invention’ here - a short piece, in two-part counterpoint, designed as an exercise for young keyboard players a la J. S. Bach – but rather offering an insight in to how the KES Music Team have wonderfully adapted to the extraordinary challenges that Music as an art has faced in this academic year! We’ve learnt new ways of performing, teaching, inspiring, supporting private study, undertaking Music exams, creating ensembles and importantly, new ways of communicating with our audiences.

So much has been achieved through everyone’s willingness get creative, staff and pupils alike. To get 400+ vocal and instrumental weekly lessons to take place from day one of the Autumn Term, who could have foreseen that in order to create larger, well-ventilated, COVID-safe teaching

spaces we’d be taking over the Wroughton Theatre from our friends the Drama Department, playing in secluded stairwells and asking the maintenance team to convert parts of changing rooms in the Sport’s Hall into superbly resonant musical spaces!

By the fourth week of Autumn Term we’d solved the problem of how to create LIVE MUSIC ENSEMBLES in Year Group bubbles! Whereas before we’d always aimed to inspire as many pupils as we could to join in an orchestra, choir, band or ensemble, now we had to break them up and spread them out. By utilising as many music staff as possible, in just about every gap in the instrumental/vocal teaching timetable that presented itself, performing in just about every sizable venue we could dream up within the school including a foyer, each Year Group bubble could enjoy the provision of a string ensemble, a woodwind ensemble, a brass ensemble, a Popular Instrumental ensemble and a Popular Vocal

composer, Mark Boden, arranged one of his fabulous works for a Year 13 and staff ensemble, and the then youngest Bath Abbey chorister, KES’s own Harry Hampson-Gilbert, opened the service with a wonderful 1st verse of Once in Royal David’s City.

Having made such a positive start creating meaningful and effective ensemble provision and performance platforms for our KES musicians, it was devastating to be once again back in lockdown in January and missing playing and singing live music together.

choosing music to compliment your relaxation, work and exercise with Miss Perris; a live demonstration from our resident composer, Mr Boden, of how to compose a short soundtrack for a trailer in one hour flat; an insight into the wonderful world of choral singing from Gregorian Chant right through to a cappella pop songs arrangements with Mr Drury; and a very popular series of workshops by our performance coach and accompanist, Mr Hutchings, on the benefits of the Alexander Technique – something performers across the school are finding useful in their personal preparations for concerts, productions and presentations.

the Easter holidays quickly paid off during the intense formal assessment period. With the planned easing of national restrictions in late June, the KES Music Team and the school were eager to produce live, musical events that would see our musicians come together in celebration before the end of the year, and the calendar for late June and July was duly filled!

The lift for live music making didn’t arrive and once again, adapting and inventing new ways to play and sing music together safely came to the fore, no better exemplified than by the four instrumental

We’ve become good friends with the video camera and honed our audio recording skills up to another level as well! If you can’t bring the mountain to Muhammad……. video each pupil in turn, edit and send it to the audience through KES TV! Working thus, our revered annual Autumn Colours Concert and Carol Service have potentially reached more members of the wider KES community than ever before! Everyone now had front row seats and if you wore headphones to watch it……well!

We were very lucky to have been able to pre-record a more succinct and intimate Carol Service in late November in the lovely St Mary’s Church, Bathwick. Three small choral ensembles formed separately from Years 10, 11 and 13, produced captivating, candlelight performances of movements from Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols , accompanied by a real harpist, which deeply moved all who watched online. Our resident

However, everyone must surely feel that their IT skills have grown this year and delivering such a practical subject as Music online has certainly tested the Music Team as we have striven to interact and develop our pupils’ musicianship. We were thrilled to have successfully edited together 4 virtual concerts of solo performances this year thanks to the wonders of iMovie, and through the Spring Term we were able to provide a series of extra-curricular musical presentations by KES Music Staff through MS Teams. These ranged from: an exploration of

Online music exams are fast becoming a new part of our repertoire too, and a good number of pupils from several musical disciplines have successfully recorded themselves performing both at school and from home, solo ABRSM and Trinity music exams achieving strong results. We have also been fortunate enough to have superbly timed our two ABRSM practical exam visits to enable over 100 KES musicians to take ‘live’ instrumental and vocal exams in November and June achieving a wealth of merits and distinctions in our results!

Our return back onto the KES campus in March saw the Music Department hardly skip a beat and we were able to almost instantly jump back into our extra-curricular programme set up in the Autumn Term. Our GCSE and A-Level pupils’ hard work to produce strong examples of performing coursework before Christmas and to complete compositions soon after

workshops/masterclasses we held in collaboration with our professional partnership orchestra, Bath Philharmonia, on the weekend of the 26th and 27th June as part of our annual Side-by-Side Project . Each of the year-group-bubbled instrumental ensembles which had been rehearsing each week up to Christmas and after mid-March, in groups ranging in size from 3 to 10 players, all came together into larger sized orchestral families – woodwind, brass, strings and percussion – alongside 5 tutors in each workshop from Bath Philhamonia. The sound of chamber orchestra type repertoire drifting around the Wroughton Theatre and Top Floor of Wessex had a moving and deep impact on everyone after 15 months of ‘live’ KES music draught. See the results on KESTV!

As the end of the year neared, further signs of musical resurgence appeared. The talented Year 13 rock band ‘11:56’ and a small team of Year 13 musicians taken from KES Soul, performed two hugely uplifting sets from the balcony of the Top Floor of Wessex as part of the leavers’ day celebrations, and from the same venue, a very special ‘Wessex Soloists’ Concert’ was successfully performed to a limited, but live audience. This concert was a wonderful showcase for KES’s most

talented solo musicians and a very fitting culmination in our series of 5 solo concerts achieved this year.

Founder’s Day is always is a joyous celebration of the life of the school and music is at the very heart of that. Whilst for a third year, it has not been possible to perform in our traditional venue of Bath Abbey, a small, highly-talented, cross-year team of 15 singers was assembled and rehearsed in super quick time to provide musical focus to the service. Two anthems, the Renaissance masterpiece, If Ye Love Me by Thomas Tallis, and the harmonically rich, An Irish Blessing by James E. Moore, were exquisitely performed and the choral team also stridently sang the hymn, All my hope on God is founded set to Herbert Howell’s music, as the CCF precisely presented the KES Royal Charter to the stage. The charter was smartly paraded out of the Sport’s Hall accompanied by a triumphant brass fanfare as the whole school watched the service either in the hall (Year 8 & some staff) or via KES TV link to tutor group rooms. A fitting musical end to the year!

The creativity, ambition, passion and enthusiasm of KES Music team, both staff and pupils, has only grown stronger through this testing year. The combination of the overwhelming desire to reignite live music, both in and outside school, matched with the ingenuity and skills we have all gained as KES musicians, means I think it will be a ‘necessity’ that you join us in person in 2021-22 to experience one of our exciting forthcoming music events. See you there!

R Drury

THE WESSEX SOLOISTS’ CONCERT

Marvin Elder, Year 12

The Wessex Soloists’ Concert showed a great variety of pieces and performance techniques and was a perfect conclusion to this year’s solo performance program. All the performers displayed great confidence and passion, which had a great effect on the impact of their performances. was particularly impressed by Ryan Cheung from Year 8 who performed Copland’s “The Cat and the Mouse” on the piano. This piece immediately engrossed the audience as it was extremely vibrant. Ryan required really advanced skills to play the piece due to the sudden leaps between the 7 octaves on the piano, and he make it look effortless.

Katie Shepperdson in Year 10 sang the “Le Chemins de L’Amour ” by Francis Poulenc. This piece had a melancholic feel to it and was a great contrast to the rest of the pieces in the concert. Katie’s voice was well-controlled and confident, resulting in a very elegant sound and showed how sensitive she was to the needs of the music.

Issy Hodge in Year 13 sang the “Che Faro senza Eudice? ” by Willibald von Gluck and “Adelaide’s Lament ” by Frank Loesser. These two pieces created a great sense of contrast in the programme, the first an opera aria in Italian. Issy portrayed her passion within her quality of tone produced. Her second piece was in a musical theatre style, which allowed Issy to show her wide range within singing and the drama she added created a sense of fun and enjoyment within the audience.

All the performers in this concert did their pieces justice, and it was a great opportunity for young musicians to understand the beauty of performing.

A YEAR OF MUSIC

Rosa Franks, Year 7

This year, took part in two of the KES Music Side-by-Side Project weekend workshops. On Saturday 26th June played my flute with 5 Bath Philharmonia woodwind musicians. We first played Habanera by Bizet, which was extremely fun to do, and it was lovely listening to all the different instruments come together to form a beautiful sound in a resonant space. After the break, we filmed our progress and moved onto making and improvising a new piece in a process we called ‘Music Lego’. This was definitely one of the best parts of the day! First, I got to choose a note and play it in a rhythm, then all the flutes in turn got to choose another note and rhythmic pattern that went with mine. That was then repeated in all of the other sections of our woodwind ensemble. We also worked on the challenging, but beautiful, Serenade for wind by Mozart and then

in the last part of the day, we played through the lovely Pavane by Fauré.

I was also in the percussion workshops on Sunday 27th, this time to play on the drums and tuned percussion. We had a small group of 4 people, including myself, supported by our KES percussion teacher, Mr Thorpe, and a percussion section leader from Bath Philharmonia, Matt Turner. I played on a HUGE xylophone-like instrument called a marimba with another Year 7 girl. There was plenty of space for both of us! We did some more ‘Music Lego’ /improvising, which was a lot of fun. After that we played a piece written by Mr Thorpe which was so cool to play! At the end of the day, we performed the piece to the brass players in the Brass Workshop and then the brass players performed to us. The whole weekend was great fun!

A YEAR OF MUSIC

Rose Goddard, Year 7

Before started Year 7, my parents asked me if I wanted to learn an instrument. After some consideration (I always thought saxophone would be fun!), but I chose drums and I’m so glad I did. When first started in September, found the rhythm of swing hard to grasp, but I love a challenge and now it’s my favourite style of music because it’s got such an interesting beat and is great fun to play.

Although it’s been a difficult year for everyone, I think the KES Music Department has done a great job of keeping the soul of music alive. Even through all the challenges, KES Music have supported, encouraged and celebrated music throughout the school, making many opportunities online. One of these opportunities was the virtual Sounds of Spring Concert, which was really lucky to be chosen to open, with ‘Gunning for Funk’ (my Grade 1 Drum Kit piece). I really enjoyed being able to watch everyone else’s performances as well, it was so inspiring!

My one wish for Year 8 is that we are able to take part in more ensemble work. got a small taste of this recently with the Percussion Masterclass on Sunday 27th June, alongside one of the lead percussionists from Bath Philharmonia. I had such a fantastic day, including the opportunity to play a marimba and a tamtam! I learnt so much and I can’t wait to try out other percussion instruments soon. Thank you to everyone in the Music Department!

PERCUSSION

Angus Cannock, Year 11

As a percussionist, over the years I’ve been at KES I’ve been involved in a lot of ensembles with KES music - I played with everything from the Senior Orchestra to the Steel Pans ensemble, and am also a member of the fab ‘KES MEN’ choir. Unfortunately, as these ensembles were with mixed year groups, they have been unable to continue over the pandemic. Nevertheless, my involvement in KES music has continued and I’ve been able to throw myself into the Combined Cadet Force’s Corps of Drums, both as a drummer and by helping to run the Corps. We’ve been training and playing for the CCF each Wednesday to march them down onto parade. We’ve even gained some instrumentalists over the last year.

But perhaps the highlight of recent months was the Percussion Masterclass attended recently. With both Mr. Thorpe, the KES percussion teacher, and one of the talented lead percussionists from Bath Philharmonia in attendance, along with Jason Thornton, their conductor, the day-long masterclass taught me a lot about interpreting my part and also collaborative improvisation. It was also great to get back to playing as part of a group under a conductor, and to play more complex and interesting pieces.

As things get back to normal, hope I can return to more of the ensembles in which I used to participate. I’m looking forward to getting back to playing with others, and hopefully participating in performances again.

A YEAR OF MUSIC

Isla Byrne, Year 9

Many things have stopped this year, but the music at KES has carried on. I play violin, piano and sing, so I have had quite a few opportunities to perform in ensembles and concerts throughout the year, albeit many of them online! took part in the Year 9 Pop Ensemble in the Autumn Term, where we learnt Skyfall by Adele. Sadly, we never got a chance to perform this live, but I am hoping we still will! Later in the year, during lockdown, I played the piano in the virtual Sounds of Spring concert. I had a lot of fun recording it at home and adding a relaxing image of a calming sea shore next to the image of me performing using my computer at home. got to learn a new piece through doing it. I also recently took my Grade 8 violin exam live at

school, which had been delayed due to lockdown. This was quite nervewracking but I’m very grateful to the school for organising all the exams for us in a COVID-friendly way. One of my favourite moments this year was workshopping the Capriol Suite by Peter Warlock with the Bath Philharmonia. I played the violin, and this was extremely enjoyable, as I learnt so much from the professional players that we got to work with. It was interesting listening to their tips and by the end of the day we had covered a whole six-movement suite together! It was a brilliant opportunity and look forward to doing it again soon! All in all, the music at KES this year has really thrived in the face of adversity, and look forward to carrying on with it next year!

A YEAR OF MUSIC

Matthew Barclay, Year 12

I’ve been playing drums and percussion since the age of four. KES Music has played a key role in my development as a player as I’ve played percussion for various ensembles during my time in both the Junior and Senior schools. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed being in such inspiring ensembles as the Senior Orchestra, Baroque Group, KES Steel and Percussion Ensemble. I’ve taken part in multiple KES Gala Concerts and soloist concerts, which has greatly helped me improve my performance skills and confidence. My practical drum lessons with Mr Thorpe have been vital in enabling me to develop my skills and feed my wider interest in drumming. Over the past few months, during lockdown, have been encouraged by listening to such drummers such as, Larnell Lewis, Eric Moore, Benny Greb and Aron Mellergardh. They have all really nourished my interest in percussion. My favourite moment during my time in KES Music so far would be performing as part of the Percussion Ensemble, as got to spend time with other drummers. It is always great fun rehearsing and performing with similar minded people, and the recent workshop with our partners, Bath Philharmonia, was such a wonderful opportunity to do this. In the future I look forward to continuing my lessons, learning new skills, playing in different ensembles and experiencing new genres and styles of music.

Psychology

We cannot recall a more relevant time for studying Psychology. The first A level topic Year 12 students looked at this year puts the spotlight on the power of persuasion; why do we conform? What factors make us obey orders and how do minorities bring about social change? The practical application of the theories and explanations for human behaviour have linked directly to the COVID crisis and last summer’s BLM protests.

We have had interesting discussions about the Government’s ‘Behavioural Insights’ team (or former ‘Nudge Unit’) and how it uses psychology to advise policy makers on how to change public behaviour. Consistency of message is one area we study in minority influence that helps bring about majority change, most of us can still recall the ‘Stay home, protect the NHS’ message. How

to persuade the majority to wear face masks seemed unthinkable a year ago, but again psychology has been so clearly applied to enable this behaviour change.

The striking images that circulated worldwide when the statue of Edward Colston was toppled and pushed into Bristol harbour augmented the debate about our past and put a clear spotlight on the BLM movement. Again, this clearly linked to our study of social change and the psychological factors that aid change. So, whilst it has been a quiet year for psychology students in terms of remote learning, social distancing and bubbles it has also been one of great interest to psychology students demonstrating real world application of textbook theories.

S Utton

Religious Studies & Philosophy

2021 brought further challenges to us all. In Religious Studies and Philosophy, unable to undertake our normal programme of trips and visits, we turned instead to project work in-school and engagement in Covid related ethical topics.

Within the Year 7 study of Judaism, pupils built model Sukkahs in their study of the Festival of Tabernacles. In their study of Sikhism, Year 8 engaged the response of Sikh men working within the NHS who have had to temporarily remove traditionally worn facial hair to allow for the effective use of PPE, and that of Sikh patients who have also needed to do so to allow for the use of respirators. During lockdown, Year 9 have participated in virtual debates on capital punishment, and Year 10 and 11 have engaged the current and shifting debates concerning prejudice and discrimination.

Both A Level Philosophy and Religious Studies have taken advantage of the growing number of virtual seminars

Biology

and lectures that have become available to us in response to the pandemic, and we, as always, wish a good number of pupils well as they move on to study both Theology and Philosophy at univeristy.

Socrates Club has soldiered on virtually with weekly debates through the school’s VLE, engaging current topics such as our responses to British colonial history and the ethics of space travel. A return to our usual in-school debates is welcomed in September.

Finally, the department wishes Abi Cottingham well as she leaves to pursue new challenges, and we welcome Hannah Dawes in September who is joining KES from Oundle School.

M Buswell

The challenges of COVID have not deterred biologists this academic year, although traditional practical lessons were put on hold for lockdown a whole host of new topic material became relevant and of interest to our pupils. Lessons have covered the structure of the COVID 19 virus, how lateral flow tests work and the effectiveness of the vaccine to name a few.

When in school, lessons were heavily practical focused to ensure pupils have a well-rounded biological experience. Year 7 pupils have prepared and viewed cells, year 8 worked with enzymes and food tests, year 9 dissected hearts, year 10 dissected kidneys, year 11 extracted DNA, year 12 dissected insects and year 13 pupils separated plant pigments via chromatography.

Year 13 also spent the day on National Trust land before Christmas completing the ecology element of their course, designing and carrying out their own investigation into the effect of a named environmental variable on the distribution of an organism. This day outside the classroom opened the pupils’ eyes to real world ecology and the species surrounding them.

COMPETITIONS

Year 12 and 13 pupils took part in the Royal Society of Biology’s Olympiad in March 2021 and special congratulations must be given to Max Entwisle on achieving a sought after gold award in this national competition. This places Max in the top 5% of 8476 pupils taking place across the country. He was closely followed by Nick Manners-Bell, Cameron Coutts and Aoi Seiko who all achieved silver awards. Wilf Turner, Rohan Patel, Sophie Lawrence and Daisy Barrow all achieved a bronze award.

P Kirby

Chemistry

Max Entwisle, Year 13

When I signed up for the British Chemistry Olympiad, went in with the knowledge that Finn in the year above had achieved a gold and the questions would be greatly challenging... to say the least! Despite being scientists, the examiners obviously had a good sense of humour, however evil it may have been, with some great chemistry jokes littered throughout.

I had revised a fair amount, as knew this would not be an easy paper, but it stretched me more than I expected in every direction of the chemistry I had learnt so far, which, really, was the reason I enjoyed it so much: it never settled at a point where any competitor would be comfortable. Somewhere in that paper there was something to challenge everyone. When I was told I had made it through to round 2 was overjoyed, as had only heard of one other KES student doing so in the last decade or two!

I quickly ordered the required book and got to work learning some new, intriguing University level Chemistry, killing two birds with one stone for both Uni next year and round 2!

In a normal year, round 2 would have been staged over a weekend in Cambridge, with the international final in a chosen country, with this year’s being Japan. Sadly, both of these were online this year, but the organisers did as much as they could to make it a real learning and social experience. In the lead up to the 4-hour paper we had an online social night where met new friends who I’d be studying (and in one case singing) with next year. We were sent two lectures, both of

which hinted at the horrors to come the next day, that gave us glimpses into new areas of chemistry.

When it came to the paper itself, I won’t lie, it was disgusting, but also fascinating. It pushed me to expand both my capabilities and current knowledge and really led me to have a greater understanding and respect for the complexity of chemistry in its entirety, not just the small details in smaller areas we learn in our curriculum. Also, not only did it stretch me, but it really helped show me which areas I enjoyed most, allowing me to clear my head on course modules and future ideas! If anyone is reading this and is even remotely interested in chemistry, seriously suggest trying Paper 1, even in year 12, no matter how confused it makes you!

Physics

Whether learning from home or in a Covid-secure classroom, we have adjusted our lessons so they are packed with as many practicals, demonstrations, simulations, and engaging activities as possible. From building home-made pinhole cameras to creating scale models of solar systems at home, we continue to satisfy students’ curiosity and fuel their sense of adventure. This is thanks to the Physics team and our wonderful technician whose Herculean efforts bring Physics to life.

Fuelled by their interest in particle physics, Year 12 continued to tune in to lunchtime virtual Principia Sessions to look beyond the specification. Year 13 students attended the virtual Particle Physicist Masterclass with Standard Model and the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) presentations from RAL and CERN scientists, including a virtual tour of the facilities by resident experts, and instruction on analysing collision data from the LHC to search for that elusive Higgs Boson themselves from home. No RAL event would be complete without their quiz and as ever, our Year 13s were in high spirits as they competed against peers from across Britain. With so many of our students applying to study or Physics-related degrees at university, I am hopeful that a few will have the opportunity to see the inner workings of one of the UK’s largest science experiments in person, one day.

EXCEPTIONAL BRITISH PHYSICS OLYMPIAD SUCCESS

This year, a school record-breaking number of Gold and Silver Awards were achieved by our students at the annual British Physics Olympiad (BPhO) competition, a series of prestigious and challenging problemsolving competitions attempted by

the most able students in the country. Of the nearly fifty Year 11 students who took part, three students secured a Gold Award (Angus Cannock, Gil Nowak and Cosmo Sutcliffe) and over half secured a Silver Award. Similarly, of the nearly thirty Year 12 students that took part, five students secured a Gold Award (Kate Daniels, Jack Garrard, Ben McNab, Niels Steinhoff, and Harry Frith) and ten secured a Silver.

Six Year 13 students volunteered to compete for a chance to represent Britain at the International Physics Olympiad. There were nearly 4000 worldwide entries, mainly across the UK and China. The complex questions challenge students’ ability to recognise topics, link ideas and solve problems, with every question demanding both perseverance and exceptional skill. This year, special congratulations goes to Max Entwisle who was awarded a Gold medal, placing him well in the top 15% of students. Sam Shepherd secured

an impressive Silver (top 30%) while Isaac Taylor, Amhar Shazuli and Joe Bruton brought home Bronze I medals (the top Bronze award, placing them in the top 46.6%).

WHAT’S IN THE BLACK BOX?

A few years ago, we designed and built a set of ‘black box simulators’ which can simulate the behaviour of up to 100 electric circuits with various switches and bulbs connected in a number of ways. Pupils analyse which switches affect which bulbs and, from that information alone, work out what circuit is being simulated. The circuits start very simple and get very complex, so all pupils have their electrical detective skills challenged. Mr Harrison’s paper on how to build one and how they work was peerreviewed and published by Physics Education (volume 53, no. 5), a journal with an international readership.

S Richardson

Rugby

After the first lockdown, the RFU guidance allowed boys to train in the summer holidays working on technical parts of the game, and positionspecific skills such as throwing in, kicking and scrum shape, in groups of 6. It was a good opportunity to have some dedicated time on individuals’ needs from a technical perspective.

When September arrived, we followed the RFU ‘return to play’ map and school life, and Games sessions, resumed and we introduced small sided games. Although limited by the constraints, such as no contact, we were still able to deliver a relatively ‘normal’ curriculum.

With Cricket running initially throughout September, it was Rugby’s turn in October and so it was back to our regular programme of Games, After School sessions and Saturdays. The Saturday

programme saw the introduction of the intra Touch Rugby tournament from Years 7 to 11, and Bathampton echoed again with the familiar buzz. The Seniors continued working on their technical and tactical skills.

After another lockdown, School returned late into the Spring term. The focus then was on Rugby 7s, and boys worked on the tactics and skills required for this format of the game, in preparation for its full return next Spring. As the Summer term arrived our main aim was to give the Year 13 Rugby boys the opportunity to represent the School in their final term. They have been the most resilient group of boys and they typify the honest and hardworking mindset that we have come to expect from a KES 1st XV. Their commitment to KES and to each other has been clearly demonstrated, when, despite their final assessments, they made the time to train so they could play fixtures. These came against Downside and Beechen Cliff in late May and proved a positive experience for all.

I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to each one of those Year 13s for their service to KES Rugby throughout their years at the school.

S Lilley

Boys’ & Girls’ Hockey

It seems like a long time ago since the ‘normal’ world of sport came to a very abrupt end, back in March 2020. It was a frustrating twelve months that followed, with all our usual fixtures and tournaments put on hold while the world battled against the global pandemic.

August and September saw well attended pre-season sessions, and once the Autumn Term began, there was a full programme of hockey

for the girls, with after-school training and internal Saturday fixtures taking place. Commitment from the girls was excellent at all age groups, with over 150 students regularly attending every Saturday throughout the term.

This enthusiasm and energy, in the face of challenging circumstances was mirrored by the boys in the last few weeks of the Spring Term, once we returned to school.

Every weekend saw wonderful goals, slick passing, fearsome tackling and brilliant saves and we were constantly reminded of just how much we have to look forward to, once our usual fixtures programme begins again.

Eventually, at the beginning of the Summer Term, our teams finally got the opportunity to play in a block against Kingswood. The weather was kind and over two Saturdays, there were 29 boys’ and girls’ matches played. The hockey was of an excellent standard and it was a great sight to see the two schools back on the pitch competing against each other again.

Over the last few years, we have seen a growing number of KES hockey

players being selected into the England Hockey Player Pathway.

One player who has made it all the way through to the top of the pathway, is Emily Maclean, who has recently been selected as part of the Girls’ England U18 Squad. This is a wonderful achievement and is a testament to Emily’s hard work and dedication over the years. She will undoubtedly be an inspiration to players coming up through the school and we hope that this will be just the start of a long career in the highest levels of the sport.

It has been a challenging and frustrating year for so many reasons but it has been our senior teams, and our Year 13s in particular, who have missed out most significantly. It is

important therefore, that recognition is given to all those who are leaving us, and who have given so many years of commitment to hockey at KES. It is a great shame that their final season was not what it should have been, but we hope that this does not diminish too much from the enjoyment they have had playing hockey at KES, and they should be congratulated for their contribution to hockey during their time at the school. Our senior players should never underestimate the inspiration they provide to our younger students, and we wish them every success in the future.

In spite of the many challenges we have faced this year, I am very proud, not only of the progress that I have seen but also perhaps more importantly, of the enjoyment that has been had whilst playing. This can only be down to all the hard work, energy and enthusiasm that has been put in by all the players and the coaching team. It has been a great effort by everyone and bodes well for the future of hockey at KES.

P Livesey

Netball

The 2020/21 Netball season has been like no other, with a distinct lack of fixtures. However, we adapted and came out of the pandemic by getting as many girls as possible playing netball and developing their skills and understanding of the game. Versatility, adaption and creativity were much in abundance.

Before Christmas we enjoyed bubbled age group training in the hope that the Schools’ National competition would return: sadly not to be, but the girls honed their skills and enjoyed some netball focused HIIT sessions. In this time, we enjoyed the success of Molly Livesey (YR 11) selected into the Team Bath ADC programme and Daisy Collett (YR 12) into the U19 NPL squad.

They are both highly dedicated netballers whose commitment and hard work have been rewarded.

Lockdown after Christmas saw us revert to online lessons and games. Years 7-10 enjoyed HIIT sessions and Mrs Fuller’s netball skills. The senior girls put us through our paces on a Thursday afternoon with some more online netball focused workouts!

On our return to school in March we saw some of the netball season, in bubbled year groups during Games, after school sessions and our Super Saturday Tournament. This short tournament saw KES Super League teams battling it out with ‘power plays’ added to bring motivation. The mixed matches for Year 13 saw some notable improvements from the boys and some outstanding netball played.

The Summer term enabled our Year 7s to properly start their netball careers at KES. Each year group played at least one competitive netball game, as we enjoyed 13 matches against local friends Kingswood. Our Year 13s will complete their netball journey against Royal High and Prior Park after half term in our ‘varsity week’ of sport.

I wish our departing Year 13 netballers all the best of luck for the future and thank them for their dedication to KES Sport over many years.

Many thanks to all our pupils and staff for their commitment throughout such a challenging time.

L Gwilliam

Football

The Year 13 v Year 12 end of year football match on the 4G pitch at Odd Down (also known to KES footballers as the Colosseum) was a tense, physical and entertaining game. Both sides were evenly matched with each midfield trying to dominate their opponents. There were some lunging tackles, shots on goal (and quite a few shots off goal) and the crowd were well entertained. The only goal scored by Conrad Perry of Year 12 was hotly disputed by the Year 13 players, but the referee, having consulted the linesman and VAR technology, awarded the goal. This led to the Year 13 team peppering the Year 12 goal with shots from all angles and an equaliser should have been scored.

However, a 1-0 win for Year 12 was the outcome. Thanks to all players and supporters, and especially to the Year 13 boys who have represented the school so well at football in the last 3 years. See you at the far post at some point in the future.

D Chapman

Tennis

In the summer term we enjoyed a number of tennis fixtures. Not as many matches as we would have liked, but due to the Pandemic the fixture card was much reduced.

The after-school tennis club has been very popular and pupils have enjoyed developing their skills and tactical knowledge during the P.E programme too. The highlight of the term was competing at the Avon Schools Championships, which saw both the Senior girls and boys play in a team format of Doubles and Singles. This tournament was extremely enjoyable and the standard of tennis was exceptionally high.

We had great success at the Junior and Intermediates Championships too, with Noah Murray and Max Done playing some superb tennis to reach the semi-finals, only to lose to the eventual winners from Colstons.

However, it was Panos Kitshasma and Freddie Champniss, who played outstandingly well throughout their doubles matches, and were the eventual winners of the final in a nail-biting match against Colstons. Panos also took home the Junior singles title in a superb display against a very tough Clifton College opponent. Outstanding! Nell Harris also played some exceptional tennis in the Intermediate Final, but narrowly lost 6-4. Well done too, to Alex Moss and Ollie Pike who won the Year 7 KES Wimbledon championships.

Many thanks to all the coaches and to all our participants throughout the term and for making the best of it in true KES spirit! E

Cricket

The Cricket season was short, but very intense as the summer sports programme must deal with many other competing activities, such as, exams, Ten Tors, DoE, the weather and obviously this year, Covid.

This summer the biggest change to the programme was to mix all genders up, facilitating the girls to play with the boys. The groups were split into hard ball, soft ball and a mixture of the two. We still have a boys and girls fixture card, but we do have more girls playing matches with the boys, which is great step forward.

It seemed to rain every day in May, so we only started playing fixtures after half term. Year 7 and 8 have some delightful cricketers and the year 9 and 10’s also performed well and had some good wins locally. Jamie Dodd was the star for the year 9’s, and he looks a super batter and a great prospect for the future. The 1st XI only lost once in their 8 matches, which was a great achievement, as the team was made up mostly of year 12 and 11 pupils. However, the two year 13 cricketers that played were brilliant. Seb Chester-Phillips captained and batted superbly in all the matches and Adam Baxter

bowled with pace and skill. They will both will be sorely missed.

We will be back in the nets after Christmas and I am looking forward to seeing how far the special relationship with Bath CC takes the cricket programme. cannot wait to use their new state-of-the-art indoor cricket facility. I am sure the KES pupils will benefit greatly from the partnership.

I would like to thank all the staff who have helped coach and lead teams, without whom the pupils would not get such a rich and diverse programme. Above all though I would like to thank Mr Robertshaw, who leaves us for Ardingly College. Their gain is our loss. He has been energetic, passionate, informed, and above all, a great support to me and the players. We will miss him & I would like to wish him all the best for the future.

See you next summer

G Brown

The relationship between KES, Bath and Bath Cricket Club goes from strength to strength.

The long-standing association between King Edward’s School and Bath Cricket Club has been strengthened recently, as the school has made available the sports facility at Bathampton in order that members of BCC can train more readily during the current building work at North Parade and the forthcoming development of their new indoor cricket school.

Until recently, KES has been able to extend its pre-season cricket training, with the use of the indoor nets at Bath Cricket Club during the off-season in order to run the early morning elite development pathway programme.

Alongside this, the school have been able to play showcase matches on

the iconic and picturesque Bath cricket ground. In return, Bath Cricket Club have partnered with KES in order to further their sustainability objectives. Reducing solo travel to away fixtures, players travel together in the school minibus, thus reducing their carbon footprint. Travel is often as far away as London or Cornwall for cup matches.

The mutually beneficial relationship was introduced at the start of the tenure of Mr Gregg Brown, who was appointed Head of Cricket at King Edward School Bath in 2012 after a long career as player and coach at BCC and Somerset CCC. Mr Brown also sits on the governing board of BCC as Director of Cricket.

As the country comes out of lockdown, KES is putting much emphasis on sport, both in support of a healthy school curriculum and for the benefit of the students’ mental health and wellbeing. Sport has been shown to improve mood and decrease the chance of depression and anxiety, which is why the government has put mental health at the heart of its Sporting Future strategy by investing in projects across the country.

Cricket is perfectly placed to support this as a socially distanced, noncontact sport that takes place outside.

Building a strong foundation for the future, the school will benefit from the exciting developments at North Parade, which include a state-of-theart indoor cricket school with Pitch Vision (an analytical tool to help player development), a bespoke gym and vastly improved grounds, with two new-build pavilions and upgraded scoring and broadcasting technology. This aligns perfectly with the school’s cricket philosophy of providing an inclusive environment of sporting equality and encouragement, where players can be developed to perform and compete at regional and county level. Further exciting advantages of this growing relationship, which will benefit both BCC and the school, are yet to be announced.

G Brown

Sports Day

Ten Hills of Bath

With Ten Tors sadly cancelled for another year, the idea for a ‘Ten Hills of Bath challenge’ to replace it came during a MapRun orienteering event at Bath University on Boxing Day. And so it was that 36 Year 10-12 KES students entered to take on the Ten Hills of Bath Challenge. Points would be awarded for visiting the top of each of the ten hills specified and lost for every minute late returning from the six allotted hours. The route covers a distance of 42 kilometers climbing a height equivalent to Ben Nevis in the process. Teams were going to have to be very selective about their routes to get the maximum number of points without going over time.

On the day, every team chose a different route, some heading straight up to the nearest checkpoint on Bathampton Down, others heading off to Beechen Cliff viewpoint. All teams visited Solsbury Hill, and some even made it all the way out to Lansdown Battlefield’s Hanging Hill. All the teams made it back in good time, with no penalty points. The Rose Wanderers (Adrian Moyaedi, Barney Stephenson, Oscar Rudd and Ruwan Dinsmore) were first back having covered a distance of 35 km to visit 8 checkpoints. Their score was equalled

by three other teams, notably Alicia Owen and her team who scored the same points, but covered a shorter and more efficient route.… It was all in the planning and route finding! Everyone taking part enjoyed their day out – ‘a walk with purpose’ as one described it – and agreed it should become a fixture in the KES calendar.

The challenge will remain on the MapRun6 app for anyone to have a go, at any time. Huge thanks to the amazing KES students who took part with such enthusiasm – it was lovely to see you all getting out there! - as well as the members of staff who came out to support the day at such a busy time!

T Laney

Below: Justin Davies (Year 13), wearing no1 in the centre of the picture, ran a new PB of 3.49.83 to take the silver medal in the Senior Boys 1500m final at the English Schools Track and Field Championships on 9 July this year.

Activities Week

Adventure sports was a week of skill building and overcoming fears for year 10 pupils. It was full of many achievements, alongside some bumps and bruises and I’m sure the record broken for the most capsized boats in one session! We joined forces in water sports while we were raft building, as we tried to convince our teachers of the stability of our rope and barrel creations, though some rafts did not come out of the water looking quite the same as they went in.

Survival skills were learnt, as we were taught how to build shelters and whittle sticks into personal creations. Our busiest day was full of axe throwing, zipwires, laser tag and an intense team building game. Even though we had to fight through the glorious British rain, we managed to have a competitive game

of battle archery, which resulted in many lost arrows and forty skinsoaked kids, although, no one was bothered about the rain as we ended that day with a fabulous BBQ.

Fears were overcome, as we didn’t only climb up the side of rocky cliffs, some even did it blind folded! We sacrificed our feet as we trekked our way through a stream, which resulted in being met by beautiful views at the top of the hill. As we made our way through a thick forest, we made hot chocolate with water from a stream, which (for some reason) the teachers didn’t try. Although some of us seemed to have not ridden a bike in years, we all “attempted” to do some of the jumps in mountain biking. Having adventures was certainly tiring, but I know it was a week that we will always remember.

Grace Blackwell, Year 10

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

When 163 pupils signed up to the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme in September, it was clear that we had a busy year ahead.

Not only would we need to plan for their expeditions, we would also try to catch up on all those cancelled in the previous year. The first of these, the practice and qualifying canoe expeditions for the Silver2019 teams, we had managed to squeeze in between lockdowns 1 and 2 but the rest had had to wait. I would like to thank Mrs Sophie Williams and Mr Jon Garner-Richardson for all the planning and replanning that they have done to make the silver and gold expeditions happen.

At gold level we made use of the flexibilities allowing the practice and qualifying expeditions to take place back to back. This was no

mean feat for the teams. With just a couple of nights to recover from 3 days walking in the rain in the Brecon Beacons the 6 teams dried off, repacked their rucksacks and set off for Dartmoor to face even worse weather. The conditions on day one were truly awful with constant heavy rain and poor visibility which made the going really tough right from the start. With several streams in spate, routes had to be diverted and the conditions underfoot were boggy to say the least. The sun tantalisingly appeared on the fourth and final day. As write this, have just been reading the assessors reports and without exception they are glowing with praise for the teams. To quote

one assessor ‘The team had a fantastic positive attitude from the start which they managed to maintain all the way to the finish. They were enthusiastic and worked really well together in a true show of determination and commitment.’ Meanwhile, the silver teams paddled the River Wye from Hereford to Symonds Yat. Enjoying slightly better weather, they camped for three nights along the route. They were treated to stunning scenery and lots of wildlife, including 21 species of birds.

With over 90% of year 9 enrolling onto the bronze award this year we decided to hold all the expedition training and the expedition itself in activities week. The pupils certainly rose to the challenge and it was fantastic to see the 17 teams navigating their way across the Mendip Hills and enjoying the opportunity to spend time with each other outdoors.

I am delighted that across the 3 award levels 213 expedition sections have now been approved, enabling the participants to achieve their full award once the other sections have been completed. Congratulations to those who already have done so.

Many thanks to Wild Country Consultants and Wiltshire Outdoor Learning Team for their continued support in delivering the gold and silver expeditions. A massive thanks also to the 24 KES staff who contributed so much to the bronze training and to all the staff and cadets who supported the many expeditions, they would not have been possible without you.

Dr A Fewell

CCF

CCF IN LOCKDOWN

Henry Freeth, Year 12

Despite challenges, KES CCF spirit shone through as they failed to become demoralised and continued with cadet life as normal. Year 11’s gruelling ten-day MOI course saw the future KES NCOs get put through their paces despite the unfortunate lack of Beechen Cliff. Nine cadets were promoted to Lance Corporal allowing an advance on their Cadet journey as an NCO.

While parades were not possible, the cadets had the bright initiative to continue these remotely two hours every Wednesday. We had interesting cadet-made lessons on divergent topics like the history of our affiliated contingent, the King’s Royal Hussars, and fieldcraft lessons including tactics and signals. The virtual parades were well-attended from across the Contingent, proving that the cadets were eager to get back into the normal CCF regime.

In the South West running challenge, countrywide cadets battled it out virtually over Strava. KES helped the South West to third place, with CSM Nat Wigfield winning the South West, running a whopping 276 miles in February. Sections of CCF cadets worked together in the Forever Friends Appeal Sofa to Summit virtual challenge by running, walking and cycling to conquer Everest, 8,848 metres, whilst raising over £1900 for the Royal United Hospital. Corporal Burwell chose to run a marathon while carrying all his own kit over five tors across Dartmoor, raising £600 for Scotty’s Little Soldiers and the Gurkha Welfare Trust.

CCF: FIGHTING THROUGH MOI

The Method of Instruction (MOI) course aims to introduce senior cadets to the roles of leadership and teaching within the CCF. After a delay due to COVID restrictions, the 8-day course, which took up almost all of half-term, ran for 9 cadets from Year 11. They found it to be a “challenging yet rewarding week”, as they were put through their paces. One Year 11 pupil said, “the MOI tested us physically and mentally”.

After a challenging 8 days, the soon to become LCpls had learnt many useful skills such as time management, leadership, and resilience. This course not only helped the cadets find their place within the CCF, but also allowed them to begin to progress onto higher roles and ranks to further broaden their horizons.

CAP BADGE

Over the lockdown period Cpl Andreou took on the task to paint up a large-scale cap badge onto the side of our range building. This mural is further followed up by a painting of the Kings Royal Hussars Prussian Eagle which is currently in the making. This piece is influential as it highlights the CCF’s other specialities and other pathways for promotion. Furthermore, this cap badge, as well as others to come in the future, presents a striking image to anyone passing by our parade ground.

REMEMBRANCE

For the first time in memory, the remembrance parade was broadcast to the whole school thanks to the great IT team. Unfortunately, due to Covid restrictions, the CCF were unable to remember the fallen by parading through Bath, however a virtual service was held at the memorial site at school, attended by the Headmaster, Reverend Caroline, Lt Col Gardiner, CCF staff and some senior cadets.

SOUTH WEST RUNNING CHALLENGE

During February many cadets took part in a virtual running competition, representing the South West team, involving cadets from all over the United Kingdom, the intent being to run the furthest distance possible in a month. The competitive spirit kept the cadets focused and the morale high during the period of lockdown, as well as improving our fitness. At the end of the month the South West team placed third, having run 12159 miles overall with CSM Nat Wigfield having run an impressive 429km!

EX COVID ESCAPE

After hours of planning and careful consideration, Ex Covid Escape became the first overnight trip since Covid began. Cadets from Years 9-13 attended a three-day exercise at RNAS Merryfield and it was clear from arrival how glad we all were to be back in the outdoors. Cadets were instructed on a variety of different stands and lessons were delivered by staff and NCOs. It was also the first opportunity for the majority of the cadets to blank fire. Although clearly exhausted by the time “end ex” was called, everyone had thoroughly enjoyed themselves whilst being challenged across all ranks.

LORD LIEUTENANT CADETS/ AOSB

Anastasia Andreou, Year 11

Over the past year, the four most senior NCOs went above and beyond to achieve prestigious awards, with CSgt Crowsley and RQMS Shazuli being appointed as Lord Lieutenant’s Cadets (the first two in KES CCF history). CSM Wigfield passed the Army Officer Selection Board (AOSB) and gained an Army Scholarship, Sgt Poole passed AOSB and gained an Army Bursary for university.

During lockdown, the LL Cadets took part in a Teams meeting with the Lord Lieutenant and, as part of his duties, RQMS Shazuli attended a thanksgiving service at Wells Cathedral on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant to commemorate the life and service of HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.

SOFA TO SUMMIT

Having already run for the South West regional competition, the CCF did not stop there. Thanks to Capt Jones, the entire Contingent was able to get involved in the “Sofa to Summit” challenge which involved climbing the height of Mount Everest in sections over the course of 2 months. The Contingent managed to raise over £1900, with the winning section (2) led by Cpl Stokes and Cpl Cannock, raising £669, all of which was donated to the RUH Forever Friends Appeal. The Cadets enjoyed the fitness aspect of the challenge as well as being given the opportunity to give back to their local hospital amidst the pandemic.

CORPS OF DRUMS

Angus Cannock, Year 11

Over the last year most of the operations of the Corps of Drums have of course been put on hold. But despite the difficulties we’ve faced, we have forged on however we’ve been able. We’ve maintained a practice schedule, working on our skills and teaching new drummers. We’ve branched out of percussion, incorporating other instruments into the Corps and we’ve continued to play each week for the Contingent marching onto parade. As we move into the new school year, with restrictions easing, hopefully we’ll be able to expand our ranks further, train more extensively, and put on a good show whenever we need to.

E-Sports Running Club

This year the school has fielded its first esports teamKESBath Legion. The team play Overwatch, a 6v6 objective based game, working together to take on schools and colleges from around the country. The team competed remotely throughout the spring term and saw great success despite their lack of experience compared to the other teams. Members of the team also entered, and won, a logo designing competition for the team, concept art of a team outfit were created and even highlight videos were made. Next year the team are looking to recruit players for Rocket League, League of Legends, and FIFA, so keep an eye on this space if you’re interested in competing for the school!

T Sneddon

Year 11 pupil, Max Newark, has an article published in the Daily Express

Lego Robotics

An unusual year led to an unusual online format for our regional tournament of the international FIRST LEGO league competition, at an unusually late time of year. However, this didn’t faze our unusually small team – only two year 8 students – who worked hard together, both in and out of Lockdown, to build and program their robot, and create their project. The theme this year was ‘RePlay’ and was all about encouraging

people to get active. Both keen tennis players, the team’s project was a simplified version of tennis which can be played anywhere, and which uses an intelligent ball to keep track of the score.

Success this year came from the robot. The team did not attain the highest score in the robot game in the tournament – although they achieved a very creditable third place – but the judges were sufficiently impressed by the way they had designed and built the robot, and approached the strategy of the various game missions, that they awarded the team the Robot Design award.

Sadly this wasn’t enough to take the team to the next round of the competition. Next year we are hoping to field two teams in the competition for the first time, so our chance of success should double!

M Evans

OE ACTIVITY AWARD FOR KES RUNNING CLUB #OEINTHEMAKING

During the Autumn Term, the Old Edwardians’ Association was delighted to announce that the successful applicant for the 20202021 OE Activity Award was the KES Running Club. Due to the continued need for social distancing between different year groups, activities for some of the School’s clubs and societies have been restricted this academic year but the KES Running Club for Years 7 and 8 has been thriving. The lunchtime club has seen large numbers of pupils taking part in runs for their respective year groups each week, with pupils keen to take up the opportunity to improve their fitness and have fun in the fresh air!

Runners receive a special Running Club T-shirt after they have completed their 10th run and the luminous yellow tops stand out as the groups head out from North Road to explore the local countryside. The OE Activity Award has funded a new supply of T-shirts to motivate the growing numbers of pupils taking part in the club. To help raise awareness of the OE community among current pupils, the design also includes the OE logo and a new tagline, #OEintheMaking.

Quotes from pupils:

“I have made new friends from different forms.”

“Getting my 10th run T-shirt was such fun.”

“I love eating my packed lunch with my friends afterwards outside the Year 7 block.”

C Davies

YEAR 7 AND 8 RUNNING CLUB

COVID-19 did not stop us (well apart from a couple of weeks)! Running club has been one of the lucky clubs that has been able to run throughout the whole year, with a few tweaks. 2 independent groups, Year 7 and 8, have enjoyed one of four varied routes every Monday taking in some of Bath’s best scenery: the skyline, Widcombe, the canal to Bathampton, and Sham castle. Guided by teachers, the pupils have challenged themselves in all weathers, whilst making new friends and getting familiar with their beautiful surroundings. Roll on September 2021 and running as one.

K Trump

Images courtesy of D McGirr

Charities

While this has been a trying time for us all, charities all over the world have really felt the impact of the last 18 months on their ability to support the people who rely on them. It has been incredible to see the generosity and energy of the KES community in their support of our international and local school charities. Our main fundraising event of the year, in support of Moving Mountains Trust, was the Staff ‘Masked Singer’. We had no idea that Ms Young’s idea would prove to be so lucrative and so much fun for everyone!

During the Autumn Term, many pupils in Years 7 and 8 took part in the ‘Bonfire Bake Off’. Regulations meant

that we could not do our usual bake sales involving the whole school, so the younger pupils threw themselves into baking the most visually exciting and creative cakes and voting as a year group for the best one! The event raised almost £350! The generous nature of the school community has been seen in huge amounts this year with the collections for Bath Foodbank and the Salvation

TAKING TIME TO REFLECT...

When you have a spare moment or two you might find the following exercise helpful, find a quiet space alone or with a friend..

Surely, in a year like no other, we have all experienced so much more vividly times of Consolation and Desolation?

Understanding our experience in these terms can help us to understand ourselves and others better and help us to move on...

Consolation is any felt increase in faith, hope and love that leads us to experience peace, serenity and joy. Consolation also includes feelings of sadness about our own circumstances

and those of others, and yet with it comes a resolve to make a postive contribution to better times.

Consolation feels like coming home.... Desolation takes us away from a place of love for ourselves and others. Our spirits become troubled, anxious, restless and upset. Desolation feels like we have lost our way home.

Home is where we belong, where we find our right place in community. Even at KES this past year or so, it has been hard for some of us to rediscover our sense of belonging with all the disruptions and demands.

Our hearts go out to those who have really struggled and we give thanks to those who have helped us on our way.

As you take time to reflect, write down a list of any Consolations you are aware of in your life over the past year or so...

Then write down a list of any Desolations, any losses, you have felt...

What do you notice about the two lists? Do some things straddle both columns? Is it possible to be grateful for things in both columns? Perhaps some change for the better has come, or is coming, through the sacrifices you and others have made?

Army. On each occasion, pupils, parents and staff turned up to school with bags groaning under the weight of tins, long life foods and exciting gifts for children at Christmas time.

L Perris

You may wish to share your reflections and...

Remember those who continue to suffer and those who have died during the pandemic, Pray for those who care for others

Remember all those in need

Share your hopes for the future

A prayer (you may like to finish with, or pray in your own way)

Loving God, you hold our times in your hands, our past, our present, our future. Be close to us now as we remember all the difficulties and disappointments of the past year and more. Be with us as we think about all that has changed, and continues to change for good or ill,

Show us how to reach out to others with kindness and care so that hope prevails and none fall into despair, May the light of faith shine brightly, even in the darkness night.

AMEN

Reverend Caroline O’Neill

Masked Singer!

Twenty-three intrepid KES staff showcased their inner divas (and risked professional humiliation) to raise spirits and valuable funds for our School charity, Moving Mountains. The standard was very high with memorable performances. Who can forget the Hamilton-inspired rapping of Mrs Bruton and Mrs Tamblyn? Or the slightly suspicious Daddy Cool? Or the hot-hipped Headmaster, who brought an ‘Elvis-the-pelvis’ twist to a George Michael classic?

Never would I have imagined in my wildest dreams that so many people would contribute so generously: a staggering £6919! I was also cheered to hear about the laughter and tears of joy the contest brought to so many at a time when we all needed it!

When the votes were counted and verified there were three clear winners. So here are the results of the first ever KES does the Masked Singer!:

3rd Place

Go Ga Ga for GAGA – Mrs Cook

2nd Place

Timon and Pumbaa – Mr and Mrs Simonds

1st Place

Rag n’ Bot Man – Mr Sellick

I would like to thank all the stars of the show who were all my favourites! I know we were hoping for a call from Michael Eavis (Glastonbury) or Coldplay (World Tour). Alas, not this time.

Special thanks to Dr Wainer and Miss Perris for their assistance throughout this process. This was a magical event with future prospects. Would KES students be up for the challenge to perform?

Skeletor (AKA Ms Young)

Lucy Harris joined the Library team in 2010 as a fresh-faced English grad and parent of an OE. We tried our best to curb her enthusiasm with endless reports to check, projects, events and a graveyard shift few can handle, but she retires mostly intact. Her legendary knowledge, wit, generosity, and World Book Day costumes (including the manic pixie dream thing-y spared us by the snow day) will be missed. Lucy has mentored and befriended many other KES Library Assistants; she’s

been a fun colleague and confidante and even introduced me to English football at Bath City. Self-proclaimed as ‘not having a creative bone in [her] body’, Lucy leaves KES to continue writing, weaving and volunteering on the enormously creative Mobile Home Library Service.

L Bowman

Library

While year 12 enjoyed full run of the library building, the library proper took its show on the road. The KES Mobile library was helmed by Miss Mills and Miss Bowman who tirelessly visited bubble after bubble. The little trolley stuffed full of themed books inspired reading among KES pupils unable to visit. It was a wonderful way to reach new readers and an idea we hope to take forward. This Click and Deliver service was complimented by burgeoning use of the online resources like audiobooks and various databases. Though it’s a year (and a bit) no one wants to repeat, we ended on a positive note by collaborating with the Art Department on a year 10 Summer in the City spectacular. We investigated the Gothic theme through arts, crafts, reading, a Ghost Walk, baking, podcasts, zines and even a dance.

L Bowman

KES Pride

“All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”

- Harvey Milk

Lockdown gave us many things, good and bad. For many of us, it meant time to think about what matters. By communicating on Teams, KES Pride flourished as a group. Students realised that they were not alone and embraced being part of a supportive, informative and fun environment (even if online). Being at home made us all rethink our lives – what matters and who we are.

KES Pride was formed for students by students ten years ago and has been a support for many in the KES LGBTQ+ community. Students know if they need support or a place to be, we are here for them. This year,

three leavers venture to pastures new and we wish them bon voyage and a happy future. Hep, Nat and Sam have been an integral part of the group and took on the mantle of responsibility with ease and passion.

I use the term responsibility because it is the students who inform us and help us develop as a school. LGBTQ+ is very much part of King Edward’s and as society changes we also change. Their voice is our future.

We have many things planned for the upcoming year. However, one thing we will never forget from this pandemic is that we are not alone and we have those who matter around us. This gives us pride in ourselves and our school.

D Willison

COVID & King Edward’s

After creating what seemed like the 1000th laminated sign for the forthcoming “bubbled” term, August 2020 brought many questions about what the year would be like. How long, we wondered, would we be working to the ‘system of controls’ that had been put in place for the new term for all schools? Just how challenging or even feasible would it be to run a school in the ways that had been mandated: keeping bubbles apart; social distancing; carefully plotted play and lunch spaces and rather limited extra-curricular opportunities?

The first group of pupils we welcomed back before term started were the Senior Prefects. We showed them around the site, fully masked and socially distanced, and this is when it began to dawn on them that Year 13 was going to be quite different from what they expected.

Despite the restrictions, it was a delight to welcome the whole school back in September. Years 7-10 began with days off site to re-establish friendships and social groups, and new classroom routines quickly became the norm. Year 12 enjoyed their bonding day, and across the board pupils embraced the ‘new normal’ with their usual cheerful enthusiasm. Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, Saturday sport sessions, and bubbled plays were all in operation. A few localised Covid cases had seen the implementation of ‘blended learning’ and as we approached October half term we braced for more cases as more pupils

were required to self-isolate. The impact on young people’s wellbeing was emerging, and teachers and pastoral experts worked tirelessly with those who found themselves in new and unfamiliar territory, working through nervousness and anxiety, and issues around loss and uncertainty.

In December, the bubbled plays were a real highlight, but by the end of the term staff and pupils alike needed a proper break. Then, on the first day of the school holiday, new guidance was published for schools and many hours were spent over the Christmas break preparing for Plans A, B, C, and then D, as requirements kept changing. The KES community rallied however, and lots of volunteers came forward to support our planning at that time. It was an exceptionally challenging time for everyone.

As schools remained closed in the New Year, Teams teaching began again. Having experienced the first version of this the previous summer, pupils knew what to expect, teachers knew what worked best, and families were very supportive of our efforts. Key Worker School onsite was well attended, and we were also able to reach out supportively to pupils and families who struggled with working from home. Form Tutors kept pupils busy with quizzes, games and pastoral tasks to keep groups and individuals connected and involved.

Like all schools, we were required to test all our students when school resumed in March and track and trace

close contacts of positive cases on behalf of the NHS. The three weeks back at school in the run up to Easter were joyfully embraced, in terms of being back on site, but there remained a degree of uncertainty about the future. The cleaning, catering and other support staff teams were once again superb and, by Easter, pupils were cheerfully re-establishing routines and relationships.

For pupils in Years 11 and 13 the Summer term’s ‘Teacher Assessed Grades’, based on real assessment data, meant rigorous and comprehensive testing. Once again, pupils and staff rose to the occasion with resilience and determination. The celebrations for these year groups on their final day at school at the end of May were genuinely optimistic and happy; there is no doubt that they had worked very hard and deserved a break. Eventually, for the rest of the school, Exams Week came and went, and Activities Week went smoothly, with whole Year group residentials for Years 7 and 8, a Bronze Duke of Edinburgh week for Year 9, and an excellent range of events and activities for Year 10. It was a much-needed week of fun after the year we had all had.

I send grateful thanks to all colleagues and pupils of King Edward’s School. You have been amazing, and I hope that, at some point, we will look back on this strange time and marvel at all we achieved.

C Losse

Lucy Harris (left) as Sherlock Holmes

Valedictories

PAM BOUGEARD

Pamela Bougeard’s legacy after more than 30 years at King Edward’s is multi-layered and memorably includes more than two decades in charge of Spanish. In 1989, KES Modern Languages consisted of only French and German. It was not long, however, before the “Spanish Club” that Pamela introduced had grown into the fully fledged subject that is now our most popular language, with a reputation for excellence that extends beyond King Edward’s. Pamela’s outstanding leadership of the department during that time, allied to her inspirational teaching, have been much appreciated by generations of grateful KES Hispanists, many of whom have carried on their Spanish studies beyond school. Pamela is renowned for the high expectations and standards that she sets in her classes, and her no-nonsense approach, relentless enthusiasm and engaging sense of humour mean that her lessons have always been a winning mixture of serious hard work and great fun.

A committed linguist and Head of Department, Pamela organised and accompanied exchange trips to both France and Spain, with the legendary Pamplona Exchange having benefited from her input and expertise on almost 25 occasions! The many Activities Week trips to Barcelona and regular visits and events introducing pupils to Spanish film and theatre, have helped to anchor the language as a living, breathing and memorably engaging

standard of good practice and a direct result of Pamela’s thorough, purposeful and highly professional approach. Many colleagues who started their teaching pathway at King Edward’s are now very successful Middle or Senior managers, such has been the impact of Pamela’s mentorship.

Pamela’s championing of professional development has seen a fantastic programme of CPD and INSET emerge: wide-ranging, thoughtfully and collaboratively researched and often imaginatively implemented, including lunchtime and twilight activities and engaging a host of inspirational speakers and trainers.

experience. That these activities have proved so successful, enjoyable and beneficial, is due in large part to Pamela’s fastidious eye and commitment to excellence, qualities in evidence in all her contributions to King Edward’s, including her work as a Form Tutor. For many years, she ran a very successful Lifesaving option as part of the Games programme. She has always been a great supporter of School events, attending many concerts and plays and helping with the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, amongst other things.

In 2007, Pamela was appointed Coordinator for Newly Qualified Teachers and Initial Teacher Training and was a natural choice as Continuing Professional Development Manager, at the same time handing over the reins of the Spanish department to Begoña Charlton. When the job of INSET Co-ordinator was added to Pamela’s growing ‘Staff Development’ portfolio in 2013, it was logical that she should be recognised in her appointment as Assistant Head, a post that she has undertaken with consummate professionalism. Everyone who has had the pleasure of working with Pamela in her Professional Development role speaks in glowing terms of her warm support and encouragement and superb attention to detail, including representatives from ISTIP, the body responsible for teacher induction in independent schools, who see the work that KES does as the benchmark

Pamela has had a major impact on many very important aspects of life at King Edward’s. She has been the epitome of the kind of caring, giving, thoughtful and committed colleague on whom any Head would love to be able to call, and is always utterly reliable. She has been a beacon of intelligent professionalism and has also undoubtedly made many of the colleagues around her stronger and more confident through her example and guidance.

Perhaps another tour along the Camino de Santiago beckons?

I certainly hope so and, on behalf of everyone in the KES community, wish Pamela all the best for a happy, healthy and very well-deserved retirement.

M J Boden

ALAN BOUGEARD

To lose one Assistant Head may be regarded as misfortune; to lose two looks like carelessness. In the case of Alan Bougeard, retiring at the same time as Pamela, the coincidence is understandable and, having joined King Edward’s back in 1987, his retirement is also very well deserved. In his near three and a half decades at the School, he has worked across multiple highly valued roles and served as a constant source of energy and wisdom. Alan has inspired generations of KES pupils with his dynamic and practical approach to Chemistry as well as A Level Philosophy which he introduced to the KES curriculum.

As a committed sports fan and talented performer (back in the day), Alan for many years ran school cricket and football teams. His broader commitment to life at King Edward’s has never wavered, and he has always been a regular and enthusiastic supporter of school plays, concerts and much more, including Activities Week trips and on the long-standing Spanish exchange. Displaying true commitment to the latter, he even undertook Spanish GCSE, which he passed with flying colours! Who knows, perhaps, under Pamela’s guidance, a pathway to A Level Spanish awaits?

Always forward-thinking and innovative, the first half of his KES career Alan was Head of General

the trademark bow tie: not just sartorially sharp, but thoughtful, measured, reassuring, authoritative and clearly very much on their side.

Studies and later Key Skills Coordinator. His keenness always to look for – and his success in identifying – the bigger educational picture meant an appointment to the ISI inspection team. This experience proved invaluable, as his knowledge and insights provided the framework for our own Inspection preparations, to great effect and notable success.

Alan is undoubtedly best known for his significant pastoral management roles, firstly as a very effective Senior Sixth Form Tutor and, from 2004, leading what until very recently was the Middle School (Years 9-11). In his leadership and development of this role, Alan showed himself to be ahead of his time, removing the artificial line separating ‘academic’ and ‘pastoral’ and, through an unshakeable and supportive focus on a child-centred approach and with empathy and encouragement as two of his key watchwords, proved that success in the former is inextricably linked to happiness and engagement in the latter. One of the things that always stood out was just how well Alan always knew each of his charges in the Sector, which in recent years often numbered around 350 pupils. Whilst some of these may have occasionally been less than grateful for innovations such as the breaktime ‘sin bin’, the vast majority will have appreciated the wise, sympathetic, cajoling, fair-minded and encouraging voice that emerged from behind

During the early years of his tenure as Head of Middle School, Alan added further strings to his bow by becoming SENCO and by also exploring opportunities to use data and tracking systems to inform and support pupils’ progress that resulted in impressive improvement in the School’s GCSE results during Alan’s time at the wheel. In 2013, Alan took on the additional important role of Compliance Officer and member of the new team of Assistant Heads, overseeing School policy and practice in relation to regulatory and ISI requirements. More recently, Alan has become something of an expert in reviewing and advising on GDPR and data protection matters, a time-consuming and often delicate process.

Alan has been a tremendous role model to the thousands of pupils and many colleagues with whom he has worked, many of whom cite him as a guiding influence in their own career development with his steady and authoritative hand, wise and discerning voice, compassion, calmness and great judgement. His are also big shoes to fill, but at least the framed collection of his legendary bowties will, like all great art, provide a lasting reminder of the time that was.

M J Boden

→ VALEDICTORIES

NIGEL

BARNES

1986 was the year that the Space Shuttle Challenger disintegrated 73 seconds after take-off. It was also the year of the Chernobyl disaster, Maradona’s hand of God and the year that Nigel joined KES, after graduating in Natural Sciences from Clare College, Cambridge.

He has been a passionate teacher of Chemistry and Physics, even turning his hand to some IT teaching when required. He is recognised as ‘the Chemists’ Chemist’ - the person to turn to when you don’t know the answer to a problem. His wide-ranging interests have sparked the imaginations in decades of old Edwardians, who remember fondly his running of the Astronomical Society (which often involved nights stargazing on the school field and memorable rocket launches!) and the Egyptological Club, for 35 and 22 years respectively.

Nigel is never one to take short cuts. A sabbatical is often seen as an opportunity to spend some time away from the classroom - not for Nigel - he organised a teacher exchange for his and spent a year teaching in Edmonton, Canada in 1995 – 96, a year he remembers very fondly.

In his long and distinguished career, Nigel has been responsible for internal exams, been Key Stage 3 Science and IT coordinator, a Middle School Tutor and is now the school’s Careers Coordinator. He has made an enormous contribution to the school. Nigel is a kind, compassionate colleague – he cares deeply about his work, his pupils and his colleagues – he is the gentlest of gentlemen. He will be sorely missed by the department, but we wish him the happiest of happy retirements.

M Oehler

SANDRA MOLES

In the 21 years that she has worked on external exams at King Edward’s, Sandra must have made tens of thousands of entries, every single one without error in a very pedantic system. She has shown incredible care for the students (and parents) whether organising access arrangements or advising them on how best to approach reviews and remarks. In busy exam weeks in the summer she has often worked 12-hour days on site, on Saturdays, while January modules meant braving snow days to keep the exam room open. It has not been just GSCEs and A levels that Sandra has managed, but university admissions tests, entrance exams for students moving to other parts of the country and also exams in subjects we don’t teach but students have taken of their own volition.

Sandra has been an exemplary Examinations Officer through many iterations of GCSEs and A levels. Her knowledge of the exam boards’ varied processes, her attention to detail, her gentle reminders of protocols we must follow, her care for students and her hard work will be greatly missed by me, for one. The confidence she has given that everything will be dealt with properly has been essential for the smooth running of exams at KES for over two decades.

We wish her well in her retirement, as I am sure do the many generations of students who have gone through exams at KES. I am absolutely sure she will be making the most of her free summers from now on!

T Burroughs

JANE HOWARD

Jane joined KES in 2007 in a data entry role before being appointed as Human Resources Officer and PA to the Bursar, and later, to the Second Master. She was an excellent listener and always gave colleagues time when they most needed it. She is discreet, fair and widely trusted for her pragmatic and sensible advice to support the interests of the individual in parallel with those of the School.

Jane developed strong working relationships with members of the Governing Board in her support role as Clerk to the Governors. She shouldered a significant responsibility for safe recruitment and the maintenance of a hugely detailed and accurate single central register, which was complimented by every ISI Lead inspector.

Jane has been a great supporter of initiatives to support staff health and wellbeing, especially the popular Pilates sessions. Jane’s people skills are excellent, something developed from her many years working in the hospitality industry. She will be greatly missed as an unswervingly loyal, wise, creative, good humoured, diligent and extremely well-organised colleague who never seeks the limelight but works tirelessly in the School’s engine room. Jane is great fun and always up for a challenge, although I am sure that she never envisaged setting up a mass Covid testing centre, or furloughing colleagues.

Jane leaves KES after 14 years of outstanding service to the school community and it is a measure of the importance and growth of her current roles that she is being replaced by two people! A huge THANK YOU and very best wishes from us all.

M Horrocks-Taylor

BETHAN CARR

By M Charlton

In the three years she had been at KES, Bethan has made many friends who appreciate her warm and sunny disposition. She livens up any space and always remains calm and in control. As a teacher, her lessons are fun and effective and she has the reputation of being firm but fair. A test of her organisational skills has been the organisation of two of the most stressful events in life: getting married and moving house. Bethan goes off to her beloved Cornwall with our love and best wishes for the future.

ELLIOT ROBSHAW

By D Hacker

Elliott joined us three years ago and quickly established himself within the coaching team. His calm, precise, thoughtful manner allowed him to work successfully across sports. In rugby he put together an excellent programme that generated great enthusiasm and enjoyment for those who were not part of the ‘contact’ element. As a hockey goalkeeping coach he thought ‘outside’ of the box, bringing many transferrable drills across from cricket. Of course, as our Specialist Sport cricket coach, he really showcased his skills, and has now qualified as a Level 3 cricket coach. Providing a link between the Junior and Senior Schools, he established a curriculum that challenges all. We wish him well as he moves onto a coaching role at Ardingly College in Sussex.

CHLOE BLAU-DAVIES

By R Drury

Chloe has been the Music Administrator since her arrival in October 2016. Her warm, friendly, empathetic, practical and supportive manner has made her a hugely treasured part of the KES Music Team. Her tenure as Music Administrator has brought great stability and consistency to the department’s processes and she initiated several new organisational initiatives, with perhaps one of her greatest triumphs being the fully interactive Excel spreadsheets that chart pupils’ attendance at ensemble rehearsals and instrumental/ vocal lessons in real-time. We do hope her beloved garden blossoms further in her retirement, as she has enabled KES’s Music Department to flourish over the past four years.

PAUL RAYNER

By R Drury

KES Music is saying farewell to one of its long-serving (32 years) and most treasured Specialist Music Staff, Paul Rayner. Paul supported probably 1500 pupils and staff in one-to-one guitar lessons. Paul’s lessons featured his infectious enthusiasm and delight in his discipline. It remains a source of amazement to his colleagues how he has taught in so many different styles; classical, rock, jazz and contemporary on acoustic, electric and bass guitars, from beginner to Grade 8 and beyond, sending pupils through a range of exam boards! We wish Paul and his wonderfully supportive wife, Wendy, a very happy retirement.

New Staff

ED RICE

Ed formally joins the English department after a year spent covering a colleague’s maternity leave. After reading English at Cambridge he dabbled in theatre, TV production and public relations before gaining a PGCE from Goldsmiths. Prior to joining KES, he taught at Emanuel School in London for four years, where he inaugurated their annual Poetry Slam. When his nose isn’t in a book, he likes to get outside and imbibe the South West’s wholesome air.

ED HUME-SMITH

Ed Hume-Smith joined Kes in September 2020 as Head of Art and Photography. He has worked in both state and independent schools in London, Bristol and Bath, as well as at an international school in India. He completed a Fine Art painting degree in London and worked making documentary films before his teaching career. Alongside teaching, Ed continues to make his own paintings and loves to learn new techniques and processes that can be shared with students. In his spare time, he enjoys going to galleries and museums, playing the guitar and cycling.